


The Home Front

by Veresiine



Series: The Home Front & Sequels [1]
Category: MapleStory
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Drama, Evan doesn't show up until Chapter 7 but he's important I promise, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-19
Updated: 2019-01-08
Packaged: 2019-08-25 19:17:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 25,814
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16666684
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Veresiine/pseuds/Veresiine
Summary: Luminous and Mercedes have both returned from the Arcane River to fight to protect their loved ones on the home front before the Alliance makes its final push against the Black Mage. Unfortunately, things aren't going smoothly.Set around the first Black Mage update patch but before Moonbridge.Chapter art every second chapter.





	1. Chapter 1

In a way, Luminous was lucky.

  
He had wanted to continue down the Arcane River with the rest of the Alliance expedition and keep up the fight, but the Alliance reports of the situation on the home front had worried him enough that he felt he needed to return to check on Lania.

  
It was a very good thing he had decided to leave when he did.

  
"Luminous! Thank goodness you're here!" Lania waved Luminous over before he'd even had time to adjust to his surroundings. "Vieren needs help with the barrier, NOW!" Luminous blinked and shook his head to clear it as he took in the scene around him.

  
Lania appeared unharmed, and her face was hardened in determination. The only indication she gave of fear was how tightly she was hugging Penny to her chest. As for the cat, Penny's tail had poofed up and was twitching back and forth.

  
The house was still standing and didn't seem to be damaged, but when Luminous looked out the window, he could see what looked like endless waves of monsters attacking the barrier. Vieren's form was barely visible -- which was probably why Luminous hadn't noticed him earlier -- and he was clearly struggling to maintain the barrier.

  
There was no time to waste.

  
Luminous channeled his strength, focus, and mana into the barrier, blocking out all else. If the barrier fell, he suspected Vieren would disappear, and he and Lania would be overrun quickly.

  
It was almost like trying to build a snowman inside. He could keep bringing in and adding strength, mana, and light to the barrier to build it up, but the constant monster assault melted away the outer layers as he worked. He was making progress, he knew that, but the barrier's continuous depletion wore at his patience and his morale.

  
It felt like hours had passed by the time he was confident enough in the barrier's strength that he felt comfortable directing his focus elsewhere for a time. As he magically disengaged from the barrier, the drain hit him. He swayed on his feet slightly, and reached for the wall to steady himself. After a few breaths, he stood up straight and took inventory of the situation again.

  
Lania was safe. Penny was still being squeezed tightly and looked very offended, but was also safe. Vieren was more translucent than transparent, and looked a bit less pressured.

  
That said, the current situation was not sustainable. The barrier would be worn down again, and, at this rate, it would happen before Luminous or Vieren fully recovered their mana and focus. Something had to be done.

  
The monsters couldn't truly be endless, could they? The Black Mage was powerful, and had recently become even _more_ powerful, but surely even he didn't have the power to summon infinite armies of monsters across the entirety of Maple World!

  
It wouldn't hurt to try to cut down on their numbers.

  
Luminous's mana and focus were slightly drained, but his physical strength remained. After spending however long he had been working on the barrier standing still, he was eager to move and to fight.

  
"I am going to do what I can about our unwelcome guests. Vieren, Lania, let me know if you want me to return and resume work on the barrier."

  
"Understood." Vieren gave a sharp nod. "I think I have things under control here for now. You do what you do best."

  
"Stay safe out there, Lumi. Please." Lania added.

  
"I shall." Luminous took one last look around the house, reminding himself of what he was fighting for, before he walked out the door and closed it behind him.

  
There was, fortunately, some space outside of the house that remained inside the barrier, giving him some room to attack from a safe location. That said, he could only expect Light magic to pass through the barrier, and there were too many monsters for him to rely on Light alone if he hoped to take the pressure off the barrier. He could warm up with Light magic from inside the barrier, then move outside it and unleash his full power.

  
He started out slowly and carefully. With that many monsters in such a small area, his reflections could split and multiply rapidly. There was no sense in overwhelming himself with too many bright lights, as well. The monsters barely seemed to notice the damage he did to them, making him suspect they were mostly mindless constructs.

  
After almost a minute of attacking from inside the barrier, Luminous had had enough.

  
He doubted more than a dozen had fallen. They were clearly unbothered by even his strongest Light attacks. Not only did they not seem to notice him or his magic, any damage he dealt to their physical forms was quickly healed as they reassembled themselves.

  
They reeked of Darkness, but perhaps his best option was to fight fire with fire, so to speak.

  
There was no safety on the ground outside of the barrier. If Luminous wanted to leave it and _not_ be almost immediately crushed or impaled, he would need to remain airborne until he could clear a place for himself.

  
There was no point in delaying further, as there was no telling how long the barrier would last before becoming unstable. He teleported himself a few meters up above the monsters closest to the doorway, and as he fell, he pushed out a wave of hard light, knocking the monsters back far enough to give himself some breathing room.

  
Now they seemed to notice him. Good.

  
He sent a meteor hurtling down at the monsters directly in his line of sight, hoping to buy himself a bit more time and space. As the meteor moved forward, he called up chains and spears of darkness -- he never was quite comfortable doing that; it reminded him *too* much of the Black Mage -- to ensnare and impale the monsters closest to him.

  
He felt like he was having a bit more success. Though Dark magic seemed to cause the monsters less harm, they did not immediately heal from it. He was fighting an uphill battle, but it was one he could win.

  
If Light magic caused a good deal of damage (albeit temporary), and Dark magic made that damage permanent, then by combining them, he was nearly certain he could clear out these pests before they overran the barrier.

  
Once he had given himself about a ten-meter radius of safety, he took a deep breath, calmed himself, and reached for inner balance.

  
With the first strike, he noticed that this was much more effective than Light or Dark alone, as it usually was. Monsters were falling before him left and right. Feeling empowered both by the magical rush and the thrill of the fight, he drew on abilities he had mastered only recently to obliterate monsters from several locations at once.

  
The monsters were not endless. With every sweep of a Reaper's scythe, every conduit's pulse, and every blade's fall, he saw their numbers thinning. It was becoming increasingly difficult to keep his focus and his center as exhaustion set in and his mana was depleted, but at the rate he was going, the monsters would be gone long before his strength failed him.

  
By the time he fell out of that state of equilibrium, there were only about a dozen monsters remaining within range that he could see. He could finish them off easily enough at his leisure, as long as he kept his wits about him and didn't allow himself to be hit.

  
He breathed a sigh of relief. The battle wasn't won yet, but he felt confident that the worst was over. If Lania was safe, then he could spare some time to check in on Mercedes, since he doubted she would let any threat to her people's safety go unchallenged.

  
That was when he noticed something in the sky, coming towards him -- no, the house.

  
_Chains!_

  
He had only a split second to react.

  
In that split second, he teleported himself back inside the barrier and forced all the strength he had into it.

  
And then the chain hit.

  
.

  
Luminous blinked and rubbed his eyes. He didn't feel any pain, beyond a few minor aches from overused muscles, but his ears were ringing and his vision seemed a bit off. It seemed he had fallen to his knees without noticing, but he was, for the most part, unharmed.

  
He pulled himself to his feet and looked around. The remaining monsters had thrown themselves against the barrier again, but it seemed to be holding solid. As for the house...

  
The chain had gone straight through the roof.

  
_NO!_

  
"Lania!? LANIA!" Luminous scrambled to the door and threw it open, then frantically scanned the house for any sign that Lania was there and all right. He didn't see her. All he saw was that chain, going right through the center of the house, cutting through and for all intents and purposes replacing the climbing vine as the centerpiece. "Lania! Answer me!"

  
"I-I'm here." Luminous whirled his head around to the source of the voice, and felt a profound sense of relief wash over him. Lania had dived underneath a table and had taken Penny with her, pinning the poor cat underneath her. "Don't worry; I'm okay. Just a bit shaken-up."

  
"Mrow! I'll be okay when you *get off of me*!" Penny added.

  
"Oh, thank goodness." Luminous walked over to Lania and offered her a hand up. As soon as Penny was freed, the cat bolted off to some unknown corner.

  
"I'm all right, too. But man, I did not see that coming." Luminous turned to face Vieren, who seemed to be examining the chain. And with that, a sudden worry struck him. The barrier was still intact. So how had the chain gone through?

  
"Vieren. The barrier --"

  
"One step ahead of you, Luminous. The barrier as a whole is fine. The crystal is intact, and all the spells and mana patterns are too. The chain just kind of... pushed them out of the way where it landed."

  
"Hm."

  
"Yeah, I know. But look on the bright side. At least we just need a new roof, not a new roof _and_ a new lambent crystal." Vieren experimentally reached out to touch the chain, but quickly drew back when his hand got within a centimeter or so of it.

  
"This is hardly the time for that. We may be safe for now, but there may be other threats, and --" Luminous started, but Lania cut him off.

  
"And you look exhausted. Why don't you sit down for a while?" It seemed Lania had regained her composure, though Luminous couldn't help but notice that she kept giving pained glances in the direction of the chain. "I'll make some tea." Luminous looked over at Vieren, who waved him on.

  
"Go for it. The barrier can handle the monsters you left behind. You need the rest more than I do, at this point."

  
"Good. Thank you." Luminous sat down at the table and forced himself to breathe. He was relieved that Lania, Vieren, and Penny were safe, but the adrenaline would take some time to wear off.

  
He could only hope that Mercedes was also safe. Of course he knew that she was very much capable of defending herself, but he couldn't help but worry. The attacking monsters had been tougher than anything he had faced in some time, if only because of their sheer volume. And if chains had struck Elluel as well as Lania's home...

  
He was exhausted. And he felt powerless. He could fight monsters, but he could do nothing against more direct attacks from the Black Mage. For all his strength and all his training, there was so little he could do. He couldn't be in two places at once. He couldn't even be sure he could protect one person, let alone the world.

  
In spite of his worries, he had just started to calm down when he heard a knock at the door. He startled and leapt to his feet.

  
"Who goes there!?" He demanded, just as Lania peeked her head around the corner to give him her signature 'don't be so rude to guests' look.

  
"It's me, Sylvidia! Luminous, Mercedes needs you in Elluel, NOW."


	2. Chapter 2

"How is Mercedes? What is the situation in Elluel?" Luminous asked, as he clung to Sylvidia for dear life. He could not think of a single time he had ever ridden a horse, let alone a flying unicorn about a hundred meters up above the ground.

  
He hadn't wanted to ride Sylvidia, but she had insisted. After reminding himself of the urgency of the situation and the dangers of making portals to inhabited areas, he had reluctantly agreed.

  
"Mercedes is all right, the last I checked. The elves are holding their ground and maintaining their lines, but aren't gaining any ground against the monsters."

  
"And that is where I come in, I presume?"

  
"Yes, exactly. She was able to turn the tide from a losing battle to a stalemate, but she wanted your help assuring victory."

  
"If even she can't manage--" Luminous cut himself off. Mercedes was roughly his equal in power, and she had more backup than he did. If she was finding less success than he had, either Elluel was being hit harder than Lania's home, or there was some other complication. Of course there was. Mercedes did not have the benefit of a light barrier, and she had a much larger area to defend.

  
Her task was much more difficult than his.

  
And, assured of Lania's safety, he would stop at nothing to help her see it through.

  
"She might win without you, but the longer the battle drags on, the greater the casualties will be. You _know_ how much each loss hurts her, personally. We _have_ to finish things quickly."

  
"Of course. I understand." He didn't want to see Mercedes hurt, whether by monsters or by death or injury among her people. "How long do you think it will be before we arrive?"

  
"Maybe two minutes. And relax! All your fidgeting is making it harder than it has to be to keep balanced, you know." Luminous hadn't noticed himself fidgeting, as he was preoccupied with hanging on as tightly as he could.

  
"Right. Forgive me. I just..." How could he put it? "It doesn't quite feel right."

  
"I won't let you fall off."

  
"That's not what I meant. It's... as though it's... demeaning for you. I don't know."

  
"Because you're a human, not an elf?" Luminous winced slightly. Sylvidia apparently didn't know the details of his... situation. Good, in that those who knew were keeping their lips shut. Bad, in that it still stung to be reminded. Still, he was human enough, he supposed. After all, that was what he had spent many years believing he was.

  
"And... not Mercedes."

  
"While it's true I don't want just anyone riding me, you are very dear to Mercedes, and she told me to make sure you got to Elluel safely as quickly as possible. So don't worry about it."

  
"Thank you, Sylvidia."

  
"Now would you please try to relax? If you're like this _before_ we the battle, I don't want to see how you'll react when we get there!"

  
"... I will do my best."

  
"Good. I'll be taking us down near the rune tree, unless you want to jump off sooner."

  
"That is where the elves are making their stand?"

  
"Last I saw, yes. I don't know if things have changed, or if the chains forced them to relocate." Luminous nodded his understanding, then remembered that Sylvidia couldn't see him from behind.

  
"I understand." He focused his gaze downward -- and tried not to think too much about how high up he was -- and tried to get a read on the situation.

  
He could see Elluel coming up through the trees, and he didn't like what he saw one bit. The monsters were just as numerous and tightly packed as the ones around Lania's home. They were like a dark snow blanketing the ground.

  
It was difficult to tell at this distance, but while chains had struck around Elluel, none had landed on or near the rune tree or Mercedes' dwelling. Other buildings, however, had been hit. Luminous could only hope they had been evacuated beforehand.

  
As they approached, he got a clearer view.

  
The monsters had overtaken much of Elluel, but the elves were defending the are around the rune tree with fierce courage. The civilians were closer to the rune tree, and the fighters formed a protective ring around them. Cygnus Knights stood and fought alongside elven archers and magi.

  
Even from a distance, he could recognize Mercedes.

  
She darted across the battlefield, rallying troops, taking down monsters, and grabbing confused civilians and directing them towards safety. She easily stood out as the quickest and most versatile person on the battlefield. She never seemed to pause or tire, and evaded all attacks with precision and grace.

  
It was about time Luminous lent his own strength to the battle. It would be difficult to attack while riding Sylvidia, but he believed he could manage. Once they were low enough to the ground that he was confident in both his range and accuracy, he leaned over to the side and sent down rays of light on what monsters he could. As expected, he had trouble focusing on that while still holding onto Sylvidia with one arm, but any damage done while in-flight was better than none at all. Even better, it seemed that, while more numerous, the monsters here in Elluel weren't quite as tough or resistant to magic as the ones near Lania's home.

  
"Okay, Luminous, for future reference, _warn_ me before you make a sudden shift like that! I can correct, but it's a lot easier to keep my balance if I have some time to prepare!"

  
"Of course."

  
As they closed in, Luminous saw heads turn in their direction. A few people waved or cheered. Mercedes was so busy, she was one of the last to notice them, but when she did, she paused for a few moments, lowered her shoulders, and waved them over.

  
"Good, good, you're both here safe. I hope your place wasn't hit too hard, Luminous." Mercedes' voice was even and businesslike, and her body language showed no sign of weakness, but Luminous could see the pain and weariness in her eyes. _Oh, Mercedes..._ She'd never admit to it, and Luminous knew it, but she looked almost as if the battle had already been lost.

  
"The situation there is under control." He wanted to say more, to comfort her, to reassure her, but he knew she would see that as making her appear weak in front of her people. That, and he had no reassurance to give beyond his presence.

  
"Glad to hear it. Now let's do the same here. Sylvidia, help evacuate anyone still in danger. Luminous, I need you to back up the Cygnus Knights. Get moving. There is no time to waste." With that, Mercedes dashed off, straight back into the fray. Luminous jumped off Sylvidia's back, nodded his thanks to her, and turned his full attention to the battle.

  
The Cygnus Knights seemed to have already taken heavy losses. Of course they had; the elves seemed to favor long-ranged combat, and so the Cygnus Knights were the first line of defense against the monsters.

  
Luminous didn't like working with others, let alone large groups of people he barely knew. But Mercedes had asked him to help the Knights, and they clearly needed that help.

  
He wasn't quite sure the best way to go about things. Should he introduce himself to their leader and receive specific instructions from him or her? After the entrance he and Sylvidia had made, everyone was probably aware he was here. So should he just jump into battle and use his own judgment? He certainly wanted to, but the Cygnus Knights were an organized group with a clear chain of command, and, most likely, a plan; he didn't want to interfere with that.

  
He made his decision when monsters broke through the ranks of the Cygnus Knights to his left.

  
He teleported himself right into the action, knocked away the monsters with a wave of light, and poured out healing light on the Cygnus Knights who had been hit or knocked down in the monsters' recent charge. It wouldn't completely heal  them, he knew -- that would take time and mana he didn't have -- but he hoped it would be enough to get them back on their feet long enough to fall back to safety.

  
The monsters Luminous had knocked back were starting to regroup. He couldn't have that. The Cygnus Knights hadn't yet re-formed their lines.  
Luminous set to work defeating as many monsters as he could in that area to buy the Cygnus Knights more time. He knew he was a bit sloppy; he was tired from his earlier fight, and projectiles from allies kept momentarily grabbing his attention. Still, as long as he was killing monsters and he wasn't hit (by enemies or allies), he supposed it didn't matter if he wasn't exactly in top form.

  
After some time -- he wasn't sure how long -- the Cygnus Knights re-formed their ranks behind him, and had moved up quite a ways from their original position. Luminous took that as his cue to find another place to help.

  
He had found his pace. He moved wherever lines were faltering and Mercedes hadn't already taken up the charge. He healed the injured where they fell when he could without taking away from his momentum. He knocked back and slaughtered monsters. He shifted between schools of magic, and fell in and out of equilibrium several times.

  
He was tired.

  
He was _very_ tired. How long had he been doing this? It felt like hours, maybe even days.

  
The sounds of battle had become background noise for him. He barely even noticed friendly projectiles anymore, whether they were magical or physical. Each step, each swing of his rod, and each spell seemed to take a little more out of him. His body hurt, and his mind felt foggy.

  
He and Mercedes were rarely in the same area, but when they did happen to pass each other by, Luminous would look her over and try to see how she was holding up. He could feel her eyes on him doing the same thing. As the battle dragged on, he couldn't help but notice that Mercedes was starting to look almost as tired as he felt. She wouldn't show it, normally, but for those brief instants when they saw each other and their focus was on one another rather than the battle around them, she would relax, and he could see just how _worn_ she looked. She no longer looked defeated, as she had when he had first shown up. This was a different beast. Fear, exhaustion, pain, and grief all mixed together into one in her expression. He didn't know how many losses they'd had, but he knew that each one hurt her just as much as a physical wound. Mercedes may have appeared uninjured, but Luminous knew that the emotional pain would sap her strength all the same.

  
Luminous couldn't afford to rest, not yet.

  
Winning the battle was all he could do for her, and so he would push past exhaustion to see it through.

  
They were winning, yes, but it was a slow, uphill battle. The safe radius around the rune tree had almost tripled since Luminous had arrived, but having a larger area to defend with the same or less manpower made the battle increasingly difficult, even though they were clearly winning. The monsters were not endless. Luminous still couldn't see the end of them, but their density had decreased.

  
His mind began to wander. Would Vieren and the light barrier be enough to keep Lania safe? Had more monsters appeared? What if more chains came down, here or at Lania's house? What if the Black Mage had something they hadn't seen yet in his arsenal?

  
Had the other heroes returned from the front to defend their homes? If so, were they successful? Or would he have more losses to avenge when the time came to finally put an end to the Black Mage?

  
He knew he should have kept his focus on the task at hand, but he was so _tired_... he was drawing from reserves of energy he didn't know he had just to stay on his feet.

  
One of the Cygnus Knights in front of him stumbled into the path of a particularly large and powerful monster's swing. Luminous reacted as quickly as he could, shoving the knight out of the way and then teleporting himself up and away from the monster before _he_ could be hit.

  
A sharp, ripping pain in the side of his chest drew his attention as soon as he came out of the teleport. Luminous froze in shock. He had dodged, hadn't he? But whatever had hit him had come from behind him. Had monsters broken their ranks? He turned his head to catch a glimpse of a terrified and apologetic elven archer.

  
Friendly fire. Suddenly teleporting up in the air with this many archers probably wasn't his best idea. Fortunately, he would live; he was nearly certain the arrow had only grazed him and not hit anything too important.

  
He turned his attention back to the monster just in time to see it mid-swing, about to connect with him.

  
He tried to dodge out of the way, but he was too late.

  
_Mercedes, I'm sorry._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have a cliffhanger. Don't worry; I should have the next chapter up within a week.


	3. Chapter 3

Mercedes tried to discreetly wipe the sweat off her brow. She couldn't have anyone knowing just how exhausted she was, lest they begin to worry or question her strength. She _needed_ to appear strong and unyielding. Not only was her strength her people's strength, she had morale to worry about.  
  
That said, she was near her physical limit. Her arms shook slightly when she raised her bowguns, and all her muscles were screaming at her to stop.  
  
 _Just keep fighting a little longer_ , she told herself, every time she wanted to give up and lay down. _Just a little longer. You can rest tomorrow, but if you don't keep fighting now, there won't_ be _a tomorrow._  
  
Even that motivation was starting to wear thin. She had to remind herself what she was fighting for. She looked back at the crowd of frightened elves around the rune tree. These were her people. They were counting on her to keep them safe. And that was more important than any suffering she faced.  
  
If only the physical exertion were the only suffering she faced!  
  
It broke her heart each time she saw someone carried off on a stretcher with their face covered. She almost felt as if she could cry, but she had gotten so used to holding any tears in that it physically hurt her throat and chest. Not only was each life lost a fellow elf with a home and a family, but these were her _people_ , and it felt like a personal failure to be unable to protect each one.  
  
She knew that people died in war, and that was the reality of it. She wasn't naive; she'd seen her share -- more than her share -- of pain and loss. And she knew she wasn't omnipotent and simply could not be everywhere at once.  
  
But each loss still hurt.  
  
She was fighting as hard as she could, and had even called Luminous here away from the people _he_ had sworn to protect, but they still couldn't --  
  
No. She had to re-frame those thoughts. She was doing everything she could. She was doing everything she could to _minimize_ losses. Each loss was just a reminder of the _consequences_ of giving up.  
  
She would keep fighting. She had to. No matter how much it hurt.  
  
A particularly large monster caught her attention. Her people were barely holding their own against regular monsters without her, Luminous, or the Elders intervening; she was most certainly needed to take down a creature of this size. It seemed the Cygnus Knights engaged in melee combat with it were close to having their ranks broken.  
  
She bounded over to the monster and opened with a volley of arrows aimed at a high arc to avoid catching anyone on the ground in the crossfire. The monster barely flinched. Mercedes pushed past the Cygnus Knights to get closer to the monster. She didn't like being that close to the enemy, but she couldn't risk any collateral damage. She sent a spectral unicorn charging at the monster, and quickly followed up by firing as many shots as she could into the monster as quickly as she could. The Cygnus Knights could handle the normal monsters; she just had to focus on this one.  
  
She gave a quick glance around her to make sure she wasn't ignoring any important threats, but her eyes were drawn to a familiar white and gold outfit on the ground.  
  
 _Luminous!_  
  
He was face down and wasn't moving. His clothes about halfway up his left side were torn and stained with blood. She didn't notice any other signs of injury in that quick glance, but that didn't mean there weren't any.  
  
 _No no no, not him! I shouldn't have called him out here; if he had just stayed then he would have been --_   She cut herself off. No need to assume the worst. Not yet.  
  
There was no point letting her emotions get the better of her in the middle of combat. Losing control and becoming another casualty wouldn't help anyone. She had to put her feelings on hold for now, and focus on reality. She would clear the area and then do what she could for Luminous. The first step would be to take down this monster.  
  
She leapt out of the way of its attack, jumped again to gain more altitude, then came down in a whirling flurry of wind and arrows. The monster froze for a moment, and Mercedes seized the opportunity to line up a shot right at its core. She loosed; the monster shuddered, then collapsed.  
  
Mercedes didn't waste any time waiting for the monster to disappear into wisps of darkness. She turned her back on it and went straight to Luminous. The immediate area was clear for now, but Mercedes would need to move quickly.  
  
Luminous still wasn't moving, but on closer inspection, she could see that he was still breathing. _Why has no one helped him yet?_ She wondered. _He was just in front of the Knights' lines for... however long it was. No one tried to push forward and retrieve him?_ She forced back a wave of disgust and anger. She needed to direct her aggression at the monsters, not her allies.  
  
She would need to get Luminous to safety as quickly as possible. That said, she didn't want to make any injuries worse by being careless in handling him. She holstered her weapons, knelt down next to him, and tried to examine him.  
  
The wound on his side, though it seemed like it hadn't hit anything too deep or important, was bleeding heavily. She didn't know how much blood he had already lost, but since that was the most obvious injury, she felt she had to do something about it. She tore a strip from her jacket and used that as a makeshift dressing, pressing down hard to try to slow the bleeding. Luminous flinched.  
  
Mercedes was at once relieved and apologetic. She didn't want to hurt him, but knowing that he was at least somewhat conscious was a huge relief.  
  
"Luminous, I'm sorry, just hang on, you're going to be all right." Moving him was definitely going to hurt him, but she would need to do so, quickly. Cygnus Knights had come up on either side of her, but she and Luminous were still directly in the path of some approaching monsters. Mercedes tried her best to carry/drag him out of harm's way while still keeping some pressure on the injury.  
  
"M-Mercedes, I --"  
  
"I don't want to hear it. Save your strength." Once Mercedes felt they were safe, she stopped and set Luminous down. She looked around and took a deep breath, ready to shout for help. Fortunately, it seemed _someone_ was doing their job, as medics were already on their way.  
  
That said, something else entirely caught her eye. She noticed one of her archers was looking at her with what could best be described as out of place terror. Mercedes narrowed her eyes in suspicion.  
  
She would have to look into that once Luminous was taken care of and the lines were secure.  
  
She looked Luminous over again, now that he was face-up and she could get a better look at him. He was looking at her, but his gaze was distant and unfocused. He was visibly pale. Since that wound on his side was still the only injury she noticed, she was worried about internal injuries.  
  
She wanted to ask him what had happened, but she didn't want to wear him out, and the medics would undoubtedly question him anyway.  
  
Perhaps that archer knew more of what had happened. But before Mercedes could question the archer, she first had to make sure Luminous was safe and in good hands, and make sure the battlefield situation was sustainable, as well.  
  
Mercedes wanted to rest. It all seemed like too much, and fear, grief, and exhaustion were threatening to sweep her away again. She had to focus less on what the situation _was_ , and more on what she could _do_ about it. That was the only way to keep herself sane long enough to see things through.  
  
That said, a quick breather wouldn't hurt. She needed to stay by Luminous's side until she was sure he was safely in the medics' care, after all. She took a few deep breaths and tried to calm herself down.  
  
After being on the move and in a high-stress situation for so long, she felt both relief and anxiety at being still for a few moments. On the one hand, she physically needed the rest. On the other hand, her instincts were screaming at her to stay on the move, to stay vigilant, to keep fighting.  
  
By the looks of things, she would need to keep fighting soon enough. She couldn't see any other very large or powerful monsters, but it seemed her people were losing ground against the regular monsters again.  
  
"Listen, Luminous," Mercedes started, just as the medics arrived. Luminous glanced over in her general direction, but she wasn't sure he saw her. Mercedes tried not to wince. He was in bad shape. She could only hope that they'd be able to help him. "You're going to be all right. I need to get back to the fight, but I'll be back soon. I promise." She let herself reach out to brush his hair out of his face. "Just hang in there." She let the touch linger for a second longer, then pulled her hand back and stood up. She nodded at one of the medics, then turned back to the battle.  
  
Walking away hurt.  
  
Mercedes knew, of course, that if they didn't successfully defend Elluel, then nothing would matter, and that her strength was needed to win the fight. But it still hurt. What if Luminous _wasn't_ going to be all right? What if that was the last time she saw him? She had to push those worries aside for the good of her people and everyone counting on her, she _had_ to, but that didn't make it any less painful.  
  
She would have time to feel and time to rest once this was all done.  
  
Mercedes pulled out her bowguns again and leapt into battle once more.  
  
She had trouble focusing on the fight, and as soon as she got her heart rate up from activity again, sweat started rolling down her face and back. She still brought down monster after monster, but she knew she was getting sloppy. Several times, monsters came close to landing a hit on her.  
  
She could only hope no one noticed her difficulties. She knew she was in no condition to lead the battle in a manner befitting the ruler of the elves, but, even exhausted and past her limits, her contribution to the fight was still invaluable.  
  
The fight dragged on for what felt like hours more, though she knew it was more likely on the order of minutes. Fear that she wasn't fully able to put on hold made time stretch out. She needed the battle to be done. For her people. For Luminous. She had _promised_ , and she needed to see her promises through.  
  
How many people -- how many of _her_ people -- had already fallen today? How many were so injured that it would take weeks, months, or even years for them to heal? How much damage had been done to Elluel, to her people's home, to their legacy and their spirit? So much had already been lost.  
  
Mercedes would never let the Black Mage or his minions do this much damage ever again.  
  
She had to keep herself strong so she could bring the fight to him and make him _pay_ for everything he had done. Even though she was shaking so badly she could barely aim, she had to keep fighting. No matter what. Even if a few tears escaped her eyes, she couldn't give up. Even if --  
  
She misjudged a landing and couldn't stop her leg from giving way beneath her. She turned the fall into a roll, then, from a crouching position, shot dead the monster whose attack she had just evaded.  
  
Just as she was about to get back to her feet, someone grabbed her arm and pulled her up. She whirled her head around to face whoever had dared, but her expression softened slightly when she recognized Danika.  
  
"Thank you," Mercedes said quietly.  
  
"Of course, Your Majesty. A-are you all right?" Danika asked. Mercedes took an experimental step forward and winced. Her leg would support her if she was careful, but it hurt quite a bit. She decided it was probably a light sprain.  
  
"I think I'll be fine. That being said, I leave the battle in your hands." Mercedes could still fight if she had to, but being seen like this -- she highly doubted she'd be able to walk without limping, let alone perform the types of acrobatics she was used to -- would do more harm than good for morale.  
  
"M-Mercedes!?"  
  
"I am going to check on the civilians and the wounded. Keep our people safe, Danika. I'm counting on you." Mercedes turned and walked away, trying her best not to limp too visibly.  
  
Walking away from the battle hurt, as well. She felt like she was failing her people by not being there. Of course, she knew that she had to weigh the risks and benefits. As she was now, she'd contribute little to the battle and bring down morale. Not only that, but injured, she was at a much higher risk of getting herself seriously hurt or killed, which would undoubtedly be even worse for her people than her simply leaving the battle in the hands of her Elder of War.  
  
All the emotions she had pushed aside so she could function were threatening to come back, but she held onto her composure with an iron grip. _Just a little longer. Just until you're out of view._  
  
Mercedes tried not to dwell too much on the looks she received as she made her way over to the area where the wounded were being seen to. She simply didn't have the energy to engage with anyone; it was taking all she had to put one foot in front of the other and keep herself from breaking down.  
  
"Your Majesty!" Mercedes looked over to see Astilda rushing over to her. For a brief moment, terror seized her. If Astilda had urgent news to deliver, she feared the worst.  
  
"What is it, Astilda?"  
  
"You look exhausted. Come here, sit down." On any other day, Mercedes would have objected. This time, however, she allowed herself to be led over to a bench, far enough away from other people that she had some semblance of privacy. She knew that Astilda had noticed her limp, but was wisely avoiding saying anything about it. Once at the bench, Mercedes sat down. She expected Astilda to address her, but the Elder instead remained standing and facing her, watching and waiting patiently.  
  
"... How is Luminous? Do you know?" Mercedes asked, after a while, hoping to break the silence and anticipation. She scanned Astilda's face for any clues, hoping to get an answer before she replied verbally.  
  
"Luminous is hanging on. He has internal injuries and broken ribs and he's lost quite a bit of blood, but I've spoken with several doctors and they think he'll pull through. They're going to try to get him into surgery after a few of the more urgent cases are seen to."  
  
"Has he been able to heal himself at all?"  
  
"He's not in a state where he's capable of that right now. But don't worry. He's in good hands. You should be more concerned about yourself. Your people need you, Your Majesty."  
  
"I know that. And I know I might not be in fighting shape right now, but I still want to be able to help where I can. How are our people? I've been so focused on the battle that I..." Mercedes broke off, shaking her head. She couldn't break down now. Astilda had in some ways been a maternal figure to her over the years, but Mercedes didn't feel comfortable letting Astilda see her cry. "I want numbers. Or at least estimates."  
  
"It's hard to say, unfortunately. I've been more focused on the individuals than the collective, myself, but I will say that, for all the casualties, there have been few fatalities." Mercedes thought of all the people she had seen carried off with their faces covered, and shuddered. If so many had lost their lives, but there were far more injured than dead... she didn't want to think of how very many people had been hurt. _Please, let the battle be over soon_.  
  
"I should do something --" Mercedes started, standing up. Unfortunately, her muscles had gotten very stiff in just that short time she had spent sitting, and between that and her ankle, she stumbled. Astilda caught her and eased her back down onto the bench.  
  
"You need to rest. You've been fighting for hours. When was the last time you took a break?" Mercedes thought about that. She honestly couldn't remember. She had been fighting along the Arcane River, and then she had been fighting to defend Elluel. There hadn't been any time for rest. "You *need* to rest and take care of yourself. Would you like me to call someone over to take a look at your leg?" Mercedes' instinct was to refuse, to fight, but she knew she had nothing left to fight with.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"And shall I also have someone lead you to your chambers?"  
  
"No. Take me to see Luminous."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know when the next chapter will be up -- a side project is demanding my attention -- but it should be done within two to three weeks. Thank you for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There was a timeskip of about 24 hours between the end of last chapter and the beginning of this one.

Mercedes leaned against the wall and rested her head against it. The stone was pleasantly cool on her skin. She wanted to be able to stay there and rest and relax, but she couldn't.  
  
She had been on the move for so long, she had almost forgotten what rest felt like. Even pausing for a moment felt alien to her and she felt the urge to move. Even if her body stood still, her mind kept racing. Even though she had slept, she had dreamed vividly the entire time and had woken up even more drained than she had been when she had gone to bed.  
  
She was tired, and there was no relief in sight.  
  
It had to be evening now, but time had lost its meaning to her. She was physically and emotionally drained. She felt numb, but knew that, beneath the numbness, there was a stormy sea of emotions just waiting to break through.  
  
The only good thing, she supposed, was that she had very little pain. The muscle aches from overwork had mostly passed. She felt sorry for the humans who suffered for days rather than hours. The only thing that really still hurt was her leg, but even then, she had been on her feet most of the day and it hurt no more than it had when she had woken up. She could work through it, and didn't even need to put in the effort to hide a limp.  
  
Honestly, she might have preferred physical pain to the emotional pain.  
  
She hadn't been able to get _any_ sleep the previous night until she had been _certain_ of the accuracy of the battlefield reports. Danika had assured her, over and over, that they had the situation well in hand, but Mercedes had refused to take her word for it and had insisted on going to see herself.  
  
The initial wave of monsters had been repelled and all of Elluel had been retaken, but some new monsters spawned in occasionally. Thankfully, their numbers were small enough that a few rotating patrols could clear them out.  
  
None of that changed the damage that had already been done.  
  
Mercedes didn't want to think about it. She wanted to block it out so he could keep functioning. Maybe sometime she'd have quiet and privacy so she could mourn in peace, but for now, she couldn't let her composure slip.  
  
She had spent the majority of the day at funerals, giving speeches, comforting the grieving, discussing rebuilding, sending messages to other local powers, and doing what was expected of her as the ruler of the elves. There had been no time for her to be just _Mercedes_.  
  
She would have to be the ruler of the elves a little longer.  
  
Mercedes pulled herself away from the wall and continued down the hallway toward Luminous's room.  
  
Luminous. She wondered if she'd finally get a chance to talk to him this time. The last two times she had gone to visit him, he'd been either asleep or unconscious. She hadn't even had much time to just sit with him, either; some crisis or another had constantly demanded her attention.  
  
Now, at least, she had nothing planned the rest of the day.  
  
She knocked at the door, trying not to make too much noise in case Luminous was asleep.  
  
"Come in." Mercedes breathed a sigh of relief. So he was up. Good. She opened the door and stepped inside. "Mercedes? It's good to see you."  
  
"Likewise." Mercedes looked him over. He still looked pale and his breathing was shallow, but he was propped up slightly and was looking over a few scrolls. She could read some pain on his face, but he was, at least, awake and attentive. "How long have you been up?" Mercedes closed the door behind her then went to sit down next to him.  
  
"A few hours. Philius stopped by and lent me some scrolls. How are you?"  
  
"I'm hanging in there. How are you?"  
  
"Much the same." He turned slightly to set the scroll he was reading off to the side, but he winced and put his hand over his chest. Mercedes fought the urge to reach out to try to help.  
  
"Are you all right? Is there anything I can do?" She asked instead.  
  
"I'm fine. But... thank you." Luminous paused. "And thank you for saving my life yesterday."  
  
"Of course. It was the least I could do. And I'm sorry for asking you out here and forcing you to fight when you were already worn-out and distracted. But... if you were struggling, why didn't you call for help? I was afraid I might lose you."  
  
"You were exhausted, too. We were each doing our best. Besides... it happened too quickly. There was nothing that anyone could have done." Luminous glanced out the window, and Mercedes did too. The rune tree was visible out the window, standing tall in all its glory. "Elluel is safe. That is the important thing."  
  
"Elluel isn't even your home, Luminous."  
  
"But it is _your_ home, and it is important to me because it is important to you."  
  
"But you have your own obligations." Mercedes didn't want to change the subject. She didn't want to bring this up. She knew it would hurt Luminous, but she also knew that _not_ telling him could be even worse. And, though she knew it was selfish, she wanted time to herself to _be_ herself, without having to think of things like this. "I know Philius went to visit you, but how much did he tell you about our current situation?"  
  
"All he told me was that the monsters were successfully repelled." Mercedes sighed. She would need to have a _talk_ with Philius later.  
  
"I know you don't want to hear this..." Mercedes started. Luminous turned his head to face her, looking fearful. _This is going to hurt, if he's already this on-edge_. "But while Elluel is safe, new monsters do keep spawning in. I know you said that the situation at Lania's home was handled, but... do you want me to send someone to check up on her?"  
  
"Please do." Luminous was clearly very worried, but, at least, he seemed to be holding himself together. Good. Mercedes didn't know what she'd do if he couldn't. She felt too emotionally drained to be able to help.  
  
"All right. I think I'll ask Sylvidia if she wants to go, then, since she and Lania are already acquainted. And... if it comes to this... know that Lania and Vieren are welcome to stay in Elluel if anything happens." Mercedes paused. "And Penny."  
  
"Thank you for the offer, but it all depends on what they want. And... things might be complicated with Vieren. He is confined to the light barrier, and moving it will be no small task."  
  
"Oh. Right. I remember you telling me that. But maybe you could work something out."  
  
"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Just please, send someone to check on Lania. I _must_ know she's safe, and I'm not currently in any condition to go there myself."  
  
"About that. How long do you think...?"  
  
"It could be a week or so before I'm in fighting shape again, unfortunately."  
  
"Only a week? I heard you were looking at closer to a month or two."  
  
"I can heal myself a bit. I just feel terrible for being a burden for now." _Oh, Luminous..._  
  
"You're not a burden; you've earned your rest, and you're always welcome to stay here. You know that." Though the room Luminous was staying in was originally for visiting dignitaries, Mercedes had made it quite clear to everyone around that it was _his_ room and that he was _always_ allowed to stay there.  
  
"Still, I worry. Had I been more careful, then perhaps..." He let his voice trail off. "How serious was the damage?" The shift in topic hit her much harder than she had expected and caught her off-guard, though she knew it shouldn't have.  
  
"It may take us years to fully rebuild from the structural damage, and --" Her voice stopped, though she continued to mouth the words for a second or two more. _My people._ She wiped away tears that were threatening to spill over.  
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
"It's nothing, it's just... this is all so overwhelming." She didn't _have_ to keep her guard up around Luminous, but she didn't want to worry him, and she had her own pride. She forced herself back in control.  
  
"Yes, it feels like the power gap between the Black Mage and us is even greater than it was centuries ago. But... we have more allies now, at least."  
  
"... More potential casualties, is what that means," Mercedes muttered.  
  
"Mercedes, you cannot think like that!"  
  
"But how can I not!? I almost lost you. I've been to fifteen funerals today. _Fifteen_! One right after another. And there will be more tomorrow. It's just... back then, I could keep Elluel safe. I could afford to leave, trusting the Elders and our own forces to defend it from monsters while I joined with Freud and the rest of you to face the Black Mage. But this time --" There was so much more she had to say, but she just couldn't find a way to articulate it. She had obligations to the Alliance, she had people's hopes riding on her as a Hero, but she had to protect her own above all. She hated being on the sidelines, she wanted to be the one to strike the decisive blow, but she also couldn't leave Elluel in case there was a second attack. At the same time, if the Black Mage couldn't be stopped, it wouldn't matter if Elluel was safe from monsters or not. And even if she did stay to defend  Elluel, with how many casualties there had been this time...  
  
There was no right answer. There was even a good chance that her choice wouldn't _matter_ , right or wrong.  
  
She hadn't felt this powerless since she was just a young girl forced into a role she wasn't yet ready for.  
  
"Forgive me." There was no use in trying to hold back anymore. Mercedes wiped away tears again, but new ones came back immediately.  
  
"Mercedes..." Luminous was there. Someone she could trust. Completely. Even if he had his moments of... less than stellar judgment. She started to reach out, wanting the comfort of having someone there next to her, but stopped herself. She didn't want to hurt Luminous; he was injured, and she couldn't risk making it worse.  
  
But Luminous had also reached out to her while she hesitated, so she leaned in and hugged him. She was careful not to hold him too tightly and hurt him, but just knowing he was _there_ meant more than anything.  
  
"I know how you feel. But this time, we _will_ win."  
  
Mercedes could only hope that it wouldn't come at too high a cost.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> I hope to have the next chapter up in a week or two.


	5. Chapter 5

"We will fight him, and we will win," Luminous said firmly, trying to convince himself as much as Mercedes.

  
She had so much on her shoulders already, and it hurt to see her start to crack under that pressure. He knew, of course, that she was the leader of a nation as well as a hero, and she had more responsibilities than he would ever have, but she always handled it with so much grace that he could almost forget.

  
He wished he could do something to help, but there was so little he could do.

  
Mercedes was suffering. Lania was most likely safe, but he didn't _know_. And, injured, he couldn't do anything to help either of them. Even just sitting up to hold onto Mercedes and be _there_ for her was much more of a struggle than it should have been. Everything hurt, and he felt dizzy and weak and short of breath. He had faced worse pain, he was sure of it, but it hardly seemed to matter. This wasn't the heat of battle, where he had to keep fighting at any cost. This was a different sort of battle entirely.

  
He didn't want to hurt or worry Mercedes by pulling away when she needed him, but he also didn't want to cause more trouble for both of them by making his injuries worse.

  
Maybe, if he closed his eyes, that would at least take care of the colored dots taking over his vision. He tried to relax, though it was difficult to do so through the pain and the worry. Though the dizziness remained, the pain eventually started to fade away. He found he was almost able to find comfort and contentment, just sitting there with Mercedes. Nothing else mattered.

  
Neither of them spoke for a long time. It was difficult to tell because he couldn't see her, but Luminous was fairly confident Mercedes had stopped crying. That was a relief. If Mercedes was fine, then he could let himself rest.

  
He knew he needed the rest. Just letting go seemed like a good idea.

  
Time fell away.

  
"Luminous!?" Mercedes sounded nearly frantic. Luminous startled a bit tried to pull himself back to reality. His head was spinning, and the pain was back, but he had to know what was going on. He felt her pull away. _Don't go..._ he thought, but couldn't quite articulate it. The next thing he knew, there was something cold and wet on his face. "Luminous, can you hear me?"

  
"Yes."

  
"Oh, thank goodness. Are you all right?" Luminous paused to take inventory of himself and the situation. The dizziness had receded a bit. He was back to lying down, only slightly propped up on pillows. Mercedes was sitting next to him, wringing out a towel. She looked worried, but her concern was directed towards him, not to some new crisis.

  
"Yes." He didn't feel like trying to sit up again or even move beyond talking, but he was nearly certain he'd just fainted and there was nothing more serious wrong.

  
"I'm sorry if I was hurting you. Is there anything I can do? Do you want me to get someone?"

  
"Please don't worry about it." He closed his eyes, trying to get his mind back together.

  
"I can't help but worry. Are you sure you're all right?"

  
"I'm fine." He didn't feel well at all, but he wasn't in any danger. He should have been the least of anyone's worries, at this point. Lania, on the other hand... Luminous didn't know if the barrier would hold. He had felt safe leaving it as it was with just the few monsters that had remained when he had left for Elluel, but if many more had spawned, the barrier could easily become depleted again. Vieren most likely wouldn't have the strength to maintain it for long.

  
How long had it been? About a day since he had left, if he remembered correctly. Between the exertion of battle and all the time he had spent unconscious or asleep, that day felt at once like it had lasted a week and only a few hours. Making some very rough estimates, he realized that, if there were up to a quarter as many monsters as there had been when he had first showed up at Lania's house the day before, Vieren's strength and the barrier would most likely only last a few more hours.

  
"I thought you were you going to send someone to check on Lania?" Luminous blurted out. He opened his eyes and glanced at Mercedes just in time to see a look of hurt slide off her face.

  
"Of course. Did you want me to leave?" She sounded more businesslike and less friendly. Luminous felt prickling dread and guilt.

  
"No, I simply don't wish to delay this further." Luminous hadn't wanted to hurt her or sound insensitive, but at the same time, Lania's safety was very important, and Mercedes understood that. "... What's wrong?"

  
"I'm fine, I just... I've sent out so many messages today already." Mercedes looked down and away.

  
"To whom?" He realized after he had spoken that he was prying and that it probably wasn't his place, especially if it was official state correspondence. He just didn't quite seem to have the presence of mind at the moment to _think_ before he spoke.

  
"The Alliance. The major towns in Victoria. Rien. Orbis. Leafre. Ariant. So far, I've only heard back from Grendel in Ellinia, but I can't imagine Athena's reply will be far behind." Mercedes checked off the locations on her fingers as she spoke, but after mentioning Athena, her face fell. "And... I sent letters to the families of some of the Cygnus Knights who were killed." _Oh. Oh_ Mercedes. She looked back up at him and put on a braver face. "Anyway, I'll go let Sylvidia know. She said she's a bit worn out from carrying you yesterday, but she should still be able to make the trip if she wants to." Mercedes got to her feet and started to make her way to the door.

  
"Wait," Luminous called. Mercedes paused, then looked back at him with concern on her face. He realized there was no real reason he called for her to wait; he just didn't want to see her go. But she had to leave; she had work to do, and he needed her to send someone to check on Lania. He shouldn't have distracted her. She had enough on her mind already. More than enough. "Never mind."

  
"I'll be back in an hour or so," she told him.

  
"Thank you."

  
As Mercedes closed the door behind her, Luminous felt the urge to pull the covers up over his head and block out the world. He didn't know what to do. There was nothing he _could_ do. He couldn't help Mercedes. He couldn't help Lania. He couldn't protect anyone. He couldn't _fight_ anyone. He hated it. He was out of focus and mana, everything hurt, he was tired and dizzy and apparently not quite thinking straight, and he couldn't even get out of bed to take a walk and clear his mind.

  
He supposed he could try reading again, but his intellectual curiosity was overwhelmed by his worries. Beyond that, he wasn't even sure he could focus well enough to get anything useful out of the scrolls. The elven method of diagramming and describing mana flow was _just_ different enough from what he was used to that it felt almost like reading a language he was proficient but not fluent in. It took more effort than he was willing to put in.

  
All he could do was lie there and wait for Mercedes to return. He didn't know if he could relax again enough to sleep. He was too _miserable_ to sleep. Besides, Mercedes would only be an hour. If nothing came up. If some other tragedy didn't befall Elluel. If her people didn't need her. If she even remembered, through all the obligations she had...

  
If...

  
And then they were fighting the Black Mage again, except the floor of the temple kept disappearing. Luminous kept teleporting around, trying to find a safe place to launch a counterattack, but he couldn't shake the feeling the Black Mage was just toying with him and trying to keep him on the run.

  
The tiles beneath Freud and Mercedes started to disappear, and they started to fall. Luminous went to them as quickly as he could and reached for Mercedes, paying no mind to the chains around him. He managed to grab onto her arm, but a chain struck the tile he was kneeling on, and he lost his balance. He clung to Mercedes, but slid off the tile into the abyss. He looked up to see Lania frantically reaching for him.

  
Chains struck another tile that was falling near him, but the sound suspiciously resembled someone knocking at a door.

 

 _Oh_. He was awake now. There was another knock at the door.

  
"Who is it?" Luminous asked.

  
"It's me. Mercedes."

  
"Please come in." He watched Mercedes step inside the room. She seemed just as on-edge as she had when she had first come to visit, but when she made eye contact with him, her expression softened a bit.

  
"I hope I didn't wake you."

  
"Please don't worry about it. You look distressed. What's wrong?

  
"Sylvidia has gone to visit Lania and should be back in a few hours, but you didn't _tell_ me that the house had been hit by a chain!" Ah. Sylvidia must have told Mercedes, then. But why was Mercedes so upset about it?

  
"It wasn't important. There was no time. We were all safe; that was what mattered. Besides, we have rebuilt before."

  
"Still, I worry. If it went right through the barrier... and poor Lania! It must be terrible for her to have to see that all the time."

  
"I don't doubt it is." Luminous suddenly remembered his and Lania's encounter with the Black Mage at the house, and gulped back dread. He had been too furious and then too relieved at the time to acknowledge it, but having to hurt Lania -- _again_ , but this time _consciously_ \-- and almost losing her -- _again_ \-- had felt like it had torn his heart in two. And now Lania had to spend all day looking at the chain, a reminder of the Black Mage's power.

  
The instant he got back, he would have to destroy it and remove any _trace_ of it.

  
Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do for Lania now. He could, however, try to be there for Mercedes.

  
"I've heard back from Athena. The situation in Henesys is under control for now, but they've also been hit by chains. You have more... insight into these things than I do. Monsters are obvious, but what are the chains for? Other than structural damage, of course."

  
"I don't know. I didn't have much time to examine them. Vieren was beginning to, I believe, before I left."

  
"Grendel said he was too, in his letter. Unfortunately, we don't know _anything_ right now. But maybe the Alliance will have more clue."

  
"The Alliance... do they really have the resources to investigate?" Luminous asked. "They must be preoccupied with defending the land from the monsters. I can't imagine they have resources to spare."

  
"Please. We've both met Neinheart, and we both know how important intel is to him. He wouldn't overlook an opportunity to learn more about the enemy."

  
"...Fair."

  
"That said, I am worried about their resources, too."

  
"Hm?" Mercedes sighed, then sat down in the chair next to his bed again.

  
"So, as you know, there are Cygnus Knights stationed here in Elluel. We needed them to help defend the people while they were still affected by the curse." _Oh, Mercedes..._ She looked so sad, thinking about it again. "But some of them decided to stay here even after the curse was lifted. So I let them, because I can't be everywhere at once. And it was a good thing I did. But... after yesterday.. we need more numbers. We can maintain our current situation with the manpower we have, but there are so many injured and dead, and so few healers."

  
"I could try --" Luminous started, finally feeling like he could _contribute_ something.

  
"No. Focus on healing yourself. Besides, we both know you prefer to be out on the front lines mowing down monsters, and we're going to need you there once you're back on your feet." Mercedes paused. "Er... if you want to stay, of course."

  
Luminous felt conflicted. He wanted to help Mercedes, especially if she was asking him to. But he also needed to go back and protect Lania. They were both important and dear to him, but in different ways, and he simply could not choose. Mercedes seemed to notice his distress, and quickly held up her hands, as if in apology.

  
"Look, I didn't mean to forcibly recruit you or anything. It's just... Elluel needs to be defended, and I'm --" Mercedes swallowed hard "--I'm afraid of leaving it. To fight." She gave a bitter chuckle. "Remember when I was the one telling you to go to the Alliance meetings and to leave Lania behind for a short time, for the good of everyone? Look at me now. Having the same problem. I shouldn't be. I've made difficult decisions before."

  
"I know you have. And putting an end to the Black Mage is the most important thing."

  
"And I know that!" Mercedes snapped, then backed off. "I know that if we stop him, we stop the monsters and the threat to Maple World. But maybe some of us need to stay behind and take care of the home front."

  
"I agree. But... perhaps the Alliance has a plan."

  
"They probably do, but we won't hear anything from them until tomorrow, at least."

  
"Then let us wait and see what their plans are before we commit to anything."

  
"Right. And for now, you need to get your strength back so you can fight again."

  
"I shall. I would not sit out this battle for the world."

  
"I know that," Mercedes muttered.

  
"You don't sound pleased."

  
"I just... don't want you being reckless and getting yourself _killed_."

  
"You know the battle is more important than me."

  
"Of course I know that, Luminous, but that doesn't change how I feel." Before Luminous had a chance to reply, she continued. "Anyway. I'm tired. You're tired. Yesterday was hell."

  
"It was. Please... look after yourself."

  
"I will, if you promise you'll do the same."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading!
> 
> This story is ending up much longer than I anticipated; I have up to chapter 9 planned out right now, and there is no end in sight. So thank you for bearing with me, everyone, and I hope you stick around.
> 
> I plan to have the next chapter up in the next week or two.


	6. Chapter 6

Luminous almost didn't notice the knock at the door, but it was a welcome distraction.  
  
"Come in," he said. He didn't particularly care who was on the other side. He was anxious and eager for news. He knew he should have been resting, and he had managed to take a quick nap, but he could not truly rest until he knew Lania was safe.  
  
He had been distracting himself thus far with some very basic spells. Though he knew he was in no physical condition to fight, or even go through the somatic requirements of most spells, anything was better than just lying there. He still didn't have the focus or patience to look through the scrolls again, and couldn't get back to sleep, so there was little else for him to do.  
  
Spells, of course, took energy and mana, and he was in short supply of both, but if he stuck to the basics -- a simple point of light, say, or slightly obscuring darkness over the window -- he figured the emotional benefit was worth the cost. After all, magic could be relaxing.  
  
The door opened, and he turned his head to see who it was.  
  
He lost his focus on the spell as soon as he saw who opened the door, and the light in the palm of his hand scattered into a hundred sparks. Lania! Thank goodness she was safe. He felt like a great weight had been lifted from him. But why was she in Elluel? She looked weary and worried, and he wondered if she might cry.  
  
"Lania! Are you all right?" He needed to know what had happened; he couldn't let any harm come to her.  
  
"I'm okay. Not hurt, at least. But what about you? I heard from Sylvidia and Mercedes that you were badly injured. I was worried sick!" Lania closed the door behind her and walked over to him.  
  
"I shall be fine. I simply won't be fighting for a while. But enough about me. Did something happen at the house?" Lania looked down and away, and fiddled with the edge of her apron.  
  
"When I left, things were okay and the monsters were handled, but... well, Vieren and I talked, and we decided to take down the barrier."  
"WHAT!?" Why would they do that!? "But why!? Is Vieren --"  
  
"He's okay, don't worry. He's in the crystal. I brought him with me." That was some consolation, at least.  
  
"What about Penny?"  
  
"Penny got spooked on the ride here. You wouldn't think so since Penny can fly, but apparently that ride on Sylvidia was a bit much. I'm still getting used to having my feet back on the ground, myself. Anyway, a nice older elf lady offered some food, so Penny's staying with her for a while to relax."  
  
"What of the house, then?"  
  
"The house is... less important."  
  
"If the situation was defensible, I simply can't comprehend why you would --"  
  
"Didn't you hear me? I was worried sick about you! Sylvidia made it sound like you could have been dying! I needed to be sure you were still --" Lania broke off. "Lumi, I was so _scared_. You weren't around, there were monsters everywhere, that big chain was there... Vieren tried to help, he did everything he could, but I just... can't." Oh, _Lania_. She sounded so young right then. Not the woman she had been as Lucia. Not the young lady Lania had grown into. Just a girl, scared out of her wits and looking for safety.  
  
"Lania..." If only there were something he could to to help. If they had been at home, he would have made her some cocoa and given her a blanket, but that was not an option now. Home... what kind of damage would the monsters do?  
  
"But you're here. And Penny and Vieren and I are here. When... when everything settles down, we can go back and fix things." Lania's thoughts seemed to have taken a similar track, and she seemed a bit calmer. "Don't you see? I had to be sure we're all here. The house can be fixed and replaced, but a _home_ can't be."  
  
"I suppose you're correct." He thought of Aurora again, for the first time in a while, before pushing it away. Here and now was what mattered.  
  
"Speaking of home, I made sure to grab some snacks before I left. I figured they'd probably have good food here, but it's nice to have a taste of home. Do you want some?" Lania set the basket she had been carrying down on the nightstand and rifled through it. Luminous winced.  
  
"Thank you, Lania, but I cannot."  
  
"Are you not feeling well?" Lania stopped and looked him over with concern.  
  
"Doctor's orders. I am not supposed to have solid food for a few days yet." It hadn't much mattered, until now. He hadn't been hungry, after all.  
  
"Right, I'm sorry. So, uh, to change the subject a bit, I talked to Mercedes about setting up the barrier here instead."  
  
"Oh?" He welcomed the change of topic, but he still wasn't comfortable with the fact that Vieren and Lania had taken down the barrier.  
  
"Yeah, since Mercedes is letting us stay here, and it's nice to be... able to see Vieren, I guess? Plus, it could help Elluel. An extra layer of protection for everybody, not just us."  
  
"I suppose you're right, but we both know that light barriers are not meant to be mobile, and relocating back to the house if we set it up here would require immense resources and effort. Do you not plan on going back?"  
  
"I mean, I'd like to at some point, obviously, since I've been there my whole life... well, as Lania, at least. But I just can't do that right now, and we should make ourselves useful while we're here."  
  
"Lania..." What she was proposing would be an enormous sacrifice for her. If she had already decided to leave the home and the safety of the barrier, then there was little he could do but go along with it.  
  
"I know you aren't feeling well, but would you mind helping us set up the barrier here soon?" Luminous thought for a bit. He knew he was in no condition, mentally or magically, to do something as complex and mana-intensive as setting up the barrier. That said, he also didn't wish to leave Lania unguarded. That, and they already had the lambent crystal, and depending on how exactly Vieren and Lania had gone about taking down the barrier, some of the patterns of mana and spell components were potentially still usable.  
  
"So where do we plan on placing it? And where are you staying?"  
  
"Mercedes said I could have the room next to yours. And she said we'd have to talk to Philius on the best place to set up the barrier and what dimensions would be best." So he wasn't expected to work on the barrier that night. Good. He could get a feel for what he would need to do and go over his notes --  
  
His notes. Which were back at the house, unless Lania had remembered to bring them with her.  
  
He doubted he'd be able to re-assemble the barrier from memory alone. Even with Lania and Vieren contributing what they remembered, it was entirely possible they would not have the required information.  
  
At least, if Lania had to be outside of the protection of the barrier for an extended period of time, it was better for her to be in Elluel, which was well-defended even without a barrier, than for her to be at the house.  
  
"So anyway, what happened to you? You're usually pretty careful when you fight."  
  
"I was exhausted and let my guard down. Mercedes saved me." Luminous couldn't remember much of what had happened after that monster had hit him, but he did remember Mercedes carrying him to safety and calling for help. Unfortunately, thinking about the injuries made them hurt worse, and he struggled to fight through the pain. He wanted to heal himself, if nothing else to ease the pain, but he couldn't focus and knew better than to attempt any magic on his body if he couldn't keep his head clear.  
  
"Is there anything I can do to help?"  
  
"No, just stay here. Knowing that you are safe is what I need." In spite of the pain, and the new headache setting up the barrier would surely give him, he could try to relax. Lania was safe. Mercedes seemed to have things handled. Elluel was secure. They would hear back from the Alliance soon, and they would figure out what the next step was.  
  
"I wish I could help you guys. It's just so... strange... being away from home. All that time spent at the temple, and then at the house..." Right. Lania wasn't used to being on the road for more than a day trip. Luminous remembered how rough it had been for him when he had first left the temple and gone out on his own. He had been able to do it because he knew it was his duty, and he had been both vengeful and determined to keep what had happened to Aurora from happening to anyone else.  
  
In the years since, it had gotten much easier for him, but Lania hadn't had that experience. She hadn't even had it as Lucia.  
  
"At least Elluel seems nice. I'm glad Mercedes is letting us stay here."  
  
"Yes." Mercedes had been so accommodating to them. She usually welcomed him, but they shared a deep bond, as fellow Heroes, as neighbors (or near enough, at least), as cherished friends, and more. He had not automatically expected the welcome to extend to Lania, Vieren, or Penny, but he was grateful for it.  
  
"Not having to worry about yard work and chores will be nice."  
  
"Yes."  
  
"We might not even have to worry about shopping. That said, I didn't pack up much when I left --I was in a real hurry-- so we might be missing a few things that we'll need to replace. Maybe you could look over what I brought and see if I'm missing anything important of yours? And if there is anything that you need, let me know and I'll see if I can find it."  
  
"I do not believe the shops in Elluel would have the things we need, and even if they do, shopping is probably the last thing on anyone's mind."  
  
"Oh, of course I know that, but it doesn't hurt to look."  
  
"I suppose." Luminous found he was struggling to keep his eyes open. He was very tired and felt emotionally drained.  
  
"So, I'm guessing that Penny will be staying with me instead of with you?"  
  
"Most likely. I doubt I'll be fishing any time soon, so there is no incentive for Penny to seek out my company."  
  
"Oh, come on, Penny's nicer than that. But I'll leave the crystal here with you, okay?"  
  
"All right."  
  
"It will be a big change, getting used to this, but I'm going to go unpack."  
  
"Mhm."  
  
"Are you even still awake?"  
  
"Mn."  
  
"Haha, all right, I'll let you sleep. It's late. We'll talk more tomorrow. Good night!"  
  
"Good night." There was no point fighting sleep anymore. Elluel was safe. Mercedes was safe. Lania was safe. Vieren and Penny were safe. He could rest, without having to worry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> I'm having a bit of a rough patch irl right now (details of my descent into hell can be found on my twitter for those interested), so I don't know if or when I'll be able to get Chapter 7 done.
> 
> But don't worry!
> 
> Even if I do decide to abandon this project, I *will* post my outlines so I don't leave you hanging.


	7. Chapter 7

Mercedes tapped her pen as she tried to think of what she should address next in her reply to the Alliance. She went over a mental checklist of what she wanted to cover and what she already had covered. It looked like she had covered everything except for a request for additional troops, but she felt like she was forgetting something important.

  
It would come to her in time, she was sure.

  
Because she had only gotten the letter that morning, she supposed she had some time to think before a reply was expected of her. She had only gotten started so early on her reply because she didn't want to procrastinate or fall behind. She would probably take a break at some point in the next fifteen minutes, if what she was trying to write didn't come to her by then

  
After that, she would show the Alliance letter to Luminous. After all, most of the Alliance's letter was addressed to her as a Hero, and only about a third of the content had to do with Ereve's treaty with Elluel and Mercedes' role as the ruler of the elves. She hardly imagined she was the only Hero the Alliance had contacted, and since she imagined the Alliance would be unable to contact Luminous directly, it would be for the best to have him read her letter.

  
Of course, because it was _her_ letter, and there _was_ sensitive state business, she couldn't let him have it for _too_ long and risk him losing it or it falling into the wrong hands. She trusted him personally, but she was less keen on trusting his memory or organizational skills.

  
She didn't know if it was good or bad that paperwork was her biggest struggle so far in the day. On the one hand, she preferred to be outside and _doing_ things. On the other hand, paperwork was vastly preferable to addressing the losses Elluel had taken.

  
On that note, she was feeling much better than she had been the previous day. She knew she was still processing what had happened, since she was so much more tired than she should have been, but most of the processing was going on at lower levels of consciousness.

  
Talking to Luminous had helped. So had getting a halfway decent night's sleep with fewer nightmares.

  
Nightmares...

  
She briefly thought of Lucid, then pushed that out of her mind. What was done was done.

  
She was almost relieved when she heard a knock at the door, but was still on-edge and stressed enough that her voice came out rougher than she intended when she asked, "who is it?"

  
"Astilda, Your Majesty."

  
"Come in." Astilda opened the door just enough to peek her head in. "What is it?"

  
"You have two visitors."

  
"Who?"

  
"Evan and Mir." They were welcome guests, at least, and after enough time spent on official paperwork, Mercedes was more than willing to spend some time in casual conversation.

  
"Send them in." That said, if she left the office for a while, she most likely wouldn't want to return.

  
"Your Majesty, are you sure Mir can fit through the doors?" Mercedes was slightly taken aback. She hadn't considered that. Now that she thought of it, Mir would probably fit through the main entrance, but not the door to her office.

  
"I'll meet them in the hallway, then."

  
"Of course, Your Majesty." Astilda closed the door, and Mercedes turned her attention back to the letter.

  
She sighed. It would make no sense to pledge her aid to the Alliance when she was already asking for reinforcements. She didn't even know if Elluel could spare supplies; the latest reports she had gotten were 'we are still analyzing the damage'. All she could offer was her personal participation, _if_ things were settled.

  
She needed some time away to think.

  
She supposed she would let the ink dry on what she had already written. She closed the window in her office. She had had it open to catch a breeze and to smell and feel the world around her, but she knew the value of security. Even if it seemed pointless with a certain _someone_ making his presence known.

  
With that taken care of, Mercedes warded the window and door and stepped outside into the hallway. She imagined it wouldn't take long for Mir and Evan to show up.

  
That said, why would Evan come to Elluel? Didn't his family need him? She supposed she would find out soon enough.

  
Sure enough, she had to wait less than a minute before she could hear footsteps approaching. She looked over to see Evan and Mir making their way down the hallway. Evan waved.

  
"Hi, Mercedes!" Evan was superficially cheerful, but his shoulders were up near his ears.

  
"Welcome, Evan, Mir. What brings you two here? Is your home safe?"

  
"Well, uh, Henesys and the farm are doing okay for now; Athena's really good at making sure everything's organized and people are safe." Of course she was; that was why Mercedes had trusted her all those years ago and why she continued to trust her today. "So, uh, I promised that I'd help you when that thing with Abraxas was all over, so I wanted to see if I could make good on that now."

  
"Thank you, Evan." Mercedes had nearly forgotten about that promise, herself, so it warmed her heart to see Evan taking the initiative. "But the situation here is handled for now. By any chance did you hear from the Alliance?"

  
"Yep! One of their birds caught up with Mir and me on the way, but I haven't had time to read it yet."

  
"How was your trip?" If Evan and Mir were too busy or preoccupied to read the message, she wondered if they had run into trouble.

  
"It was okay. Some of the roads are still full of monsters or blocked off, though, so we had to take a few detours," Evan explained.

  
"Master, I think you just insisted we couldn't take the main roads because you were too lazy to walk."

  
"Come on, Mir, you only carried me like a quarter of the way."

  
"A quarter is still a lot! It feels like you're growing faster than I am, these days!" Come to think of it, Evan did look a bit taller than she remembered. She wondered if or when he'd reach Freud's height.

  
"Yeah, maybe I have grown a bit. Say, Mercedes, have you heard from Luminous at all? I checked by Lania's place on the way over, but..." Evan looked down, losing his cheery facade, and Mercedes noticed that Mir drew closer to him and seemed about to put a wing around him. "There was no sign of them, and there are monsters everywhere. I'm worried."

  
"Don't worry. He and Lania are staying here for now." Evan almost immediately perked back up.

  
"Whew. That's good to hear. So, uh, the Alliance? Why did you ask about that?"

  
"They've contacted me, and Neinheart seems to want us to try to focus on defending our homes and the rest of Maple World for now, but that we'll soon be needed to take the fight to the Black Mage. I'm guessing your letter is the same."

  
"Yeah, maybe? Probably? And uh, so you and Luminous are okay, but I haven't heard anything about Phantom, Aran, or EunWol. Have you heard anything?"

  
"Yes, I have. Aran and EunWol have the situation in Rien handled. Aran is staying there to defend it. EunWol left for... Edelstein, I think he said? I know he wanted to see where he could do the most good. And as for Phantom..." Mercedes rolled her eyes, and thought about the _other_ letter that had found its way onto her desk that morning. "He left me a letter. He said he's going to survey the damage and contribute where his skills are needed most." Of _course_ Phantom would drop by Elluel and not even say hello, just leave a note and a card. She wished he had had the decency to visit her in person.

  
That said, it was probably for the best that he was making himself scarce. She certainly didn't want Luminous to know that Phantom had been there. It felt like they brought out the worst in each other, and Mercedes was in no mood to babysit them. In times like these, their antics wouldn't even be as entertaining as usual.

  
"Oh yeah, good. So everyone's okay?" Everyone... her heart sank, and she couldn't help but think of how many losses they had already taken. She swallowed and forced it down.

  
"Well, the six of us are all right, yes."

  
"What's wrong?" She clearly wasn't at the top of her game if Evan had noticed. That said, she was almost grateful he had.

  
"It's been a long battle, Evan. I'm tired. And it's going to be longer yet." Mercedes had heard from both Grendel and Neinheart that the chains seemed to be dragging Maple World toward the Black Mage. Just because the monsters had settled down for the most part didn't mean they were safe. "Actually, you know what? You said you wanted to help. If you want something to do, why don't you see about taking down some of the chains around Elluel?" She had had the Elders try to tackle them, and Philius in particular had been putting his all into their removal, but he had told her that it was like filing away at a stone, even when using his full power. Perhaps Evan could help.

  
"Yeah, sure! Though I was wondering, if Luminous is here, maybe I should talk to him first since he'd, uh, know more about those."

  
"I'm not so sure of that. He hasn't personally had the time to look into them."

  
"Yeah, but --"

  
"I know what you're thinking, that he might have more insight into what they are and how to get rid of them because he knows the Black Mage's magic, but last I spoke with him, he was just about as lost as the rest of us. That said, you could ask him if you really want to." Mercedes paused for a moment, trying to think of the best way to describe the layout of the building to Evan. "He's probably in his room for now. If you keep going down this hallway, then make a left past the gilded vine, then take a right past the second stained-glass window, his room should be the fourth door on the right."

  
"Thanks. I think I will go talk to him, then."

  
"Maybe you could help him and Lania with the barrier they're working on, too. It might be a good learning experience for you."

  
"They're making a barrier?"

  
"Or re-making it, I suppose. Lania wasn't terribly specific." And Luminous hadn't been much better. Mercedes had gone to visit him earlier in the morning, but he clearly hadn't been fully awake, and had been communicating in a mixture of magical jargon, grumbles, and vague gestures. In hindsight, she probably should have just let him sleep, but she had wanted to know more about what was planned for her people and her home. That said, even if Luminous and Lania hadn't been of much help, Philius had OK'd the project, and she trusted him. More protection for her people was always welcome.

  
"Okay, great! I'll see how I can help."

  
"Thank you, Evan." He was a good kid.

  
And if he planned on staying for a while, they had three heroes ready to defend Elluel.

  
Things were looking up. The Black Mage wouldn't know what hit him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know you're probably disappointed that there hasn't really been any interaction between Luminous and Mercedes in the past two chapters. Don't worry. I'll make it up to you.
> 
> Chapter 8 should be up in a week or two, sanity permitting.
> 
> Thank you for reading!


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The chapter art doesn't line up with what's happening chronologically. That said, I always post the art before the chapter anyway, so I hope it's not too big a deal.

 

Mercedes stopped walking for a few seconds to stretch, bracing herself against the wall. She had been sitting at her desk for far too long, and taking a walk wasn't enough to loosen her up by itself.  
  
She had gotten through most of her paperwork in the last sitting, at least. The only major thing left on the agenda for the day was an evening meeting with the Elders, but she wasn't too concerned about that. She was actually looking forward to it, assuming they didn't have any worse news for her.  
  
As far as she was concerned, she had already met her quota of bad news for the day. One of the patrols of Cygnus Knights had been defeated by roaming monsters. All but one of the members of the team had been severely injured, and the monsters had broken through into Elluel. Fortunately, some civilians and one or two off-duty military personnel had driven them back with no further casualties.  
  
Everyone was expected to recover, but it was a stark reminder that Elluel was _not_ completely safe yet. Not that it was easy to forget, with the chains.  
  
She started moving again. At this hour, she highly doubted she would run into anyone in the hallways, so she let her mind wander a bit.  
  
She would have much rather been on the outskirts of Elluel or in the forests. She needed some time to decompress, surrounded by the spirits of nature. Unfortunately, even if she did slip outside for a while, she wouldn't be able to enjoy any peace and calm with all the monsters about, daring to taint the land with their presence.  
  
She wondered if mowing down leagues of monsters would provide comparable stress relief.  
  
It had been too long since she had personally contributed to the fight. She would see if she could make some time in the coming days to lend her strength to the defense of Elluel. Unconsciously, she reached for the grips of her bowguns and prepared to draw them. Part of her wanted to test her aim right there and then, since she was nearly certain she was alone, but she considered the possible damage to the building and thought better of it.  
  
"Mercedes?" Mercedes startled and whirled around, drawing her bowguns and preparing to loose at whoever had come up behind her. As soon as she recognized Luminous, however, she lowered her weapons and put them back in their holsters.  
  
"Don't sneak up on me like that!" She accused.  
  
"I was hardly _sneaking_. I was just out here for a walk." Well, she _had_ been a bit lost in thought. He probably hadn't intended to startle her, after all. That said, it would take a while for her heart rate to slow down.  
  
"That makes two of us, then. And it's good to see you back on your feet, but are you sure you should be up?" Being back in his normal clothes and up and walking around was a good sign, but he still looked weak and unsteady, and was supporting himself with one hand against the wall.  
  
"I've been told I should be fine for a short walk so long as I avoid stairs," Luminous explained.  
  
"That's good."  
  
"Indeed. I was growing bored of being cooped up."  
  
"I couldn't agree more. I've been doing paperwork almost all day and I'm sick of it." She wished she could ask him to join her and disappear off into the woods for a while, but that was not an option. She settled for going back a few paces to match his speed and walk alongside him.  
  
"You've been in contact with the Alliance, I presume?"  
  
"Right. By the way, did you read that letter?"  
  
"What letter?"  
  
"You know, the letter the Alliance sent me?" Luminous stopped in his tracks, and Mercedes stopped next to him. He looked puzzled. "Luminous?" _Oh, no. What if he lost it?_ "Luminous. The letter. That I gave you earlier this afternoon?"  
  
"I can't remember any letter?"  
  
"Oh, for the love of --" What if it was all a trick? What if she hadn't actually given the letter to Luminous? What if security was now compromised? She had thought the Black Wings were gone, but if they weren't...  
  
"Wait, I think I remember now. Was there a blue seal?" Or maybe Luminous was just even more forgetful than she had taken him for. She let out a long breath and let her shoulders drop. The nerve, though! Scaring her like that _twice_ in not even five minutes!  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Feathers?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"I've not yet had the chance to read it, but I put it with the scrolls I borrowed from Philius, and Vieren is keeping an eye on them." And he had answered her next question, too. Good.  
  
"But I thought Vieren was confined to the barrier? Is it up already?"  
  
"No, but I needed his advice, so I made a little... bubble, of sorts, which he can manifest in." Luminous vaguely gestured out a bubble and what Mercedes imagined were mana flow patterns.  
  
"I see. So, the letter." She started walking again, and Luminous did as well. She slowed her pace to match his. "Basically, the Alliance wants us to get ready to fight the Black Mage."  
  
"I am ready!"  
  
"No, you're not." Mercedes fought not to roll her eyes. "Not in your current state, at least."  
  
"Then let me amend that. I am looking forward to the fight with eager anticipation."  
  
"That's better. So, by the sound of it, it won't be just us heroes facing him this time."  
  
"I'd imagine so, yes."  
  
"But I'm worried."  
  
"Why? Are you still concerned about casualties?"  
  
"Not so much that --" but no thanks to him for reminding her! "-- but we both know you're used to working alone. If you were caught up in friendly fire once by recklessly teleporting around, I'm worried it might happen again." Getting the story out of that archer the other day hadn't been a pleasant experience for anyone, but at least now she _knew_ what had happened.  
  
"It won't happen again."  
  
"Do you have anything to back that statement up?" Mercedes asked. Luminous fell silent. "I thought not." She sighed. "I just... don't know what I'd do."  
  
"If it happens again, it happens again. We cannot say now how the battle will go. All we can do is our best in that moment."  
  
"I suppose you're right. But at least we can make plans to protect our people." Mercedes stopped herself for a moment. 'Our people'. When did they become 'our people' rather than 'her people'? She supposed she was including Lania, then. But it was best not to draw too much attention to it if Luminous hadn't already noticed. "So, what's the status of the barrier? Did Evan talk to you about it?"  
  
"He did, yes. And we're still in the early stages. Unfortunately, we don't currently have access to our notes, so we're relying upon our memories. As you may have noticed, I am... not always the best at remembering details from years ago, Lania has a whole lifetime between her and her memories of how to make a light barrier, and Vieren, by far our best resource, can be... prone to going off on tangents."  
  
"That sounds very difficult, then. So are you sure it will work, with all that considered?"  
  
"I am not sure, unfortunately, but that is why we are proceeding slowly and carefully. The situation is, unfortunately, further complicated by the fact that the mana patterns of the barrier have dissipated much quicker than any of us anticipated."  
  
"That doesn't sound good. But what about Evan? Has he been able to help?"  
  
"Because it's such a delicate and high-stakes project, I'm hesitant to have him contribute much, especially to designing and planning, but we could use his mana. Vieren and I are still drained, and Lania as she is has very little capacity for mana manipulation."  
  
"I suppose you're right, but if you're still drained, and you want Evan for his help with the raw fuel and power of it, then why don't you ask more people?"  
  
"It's... complicated. Both the situation and the magic involved. As you know, different organizations have different approaches to magic. Vieren, Lania, and I all understand magic in the context of Aurora's teachings. I have, of course, studied other schools and methods, but I am much more comfortable working with the magic of Aurora. As for Evan, I have been trying to show him the basics of as many schools as possible. So while he's not exactly on the same page as us, he's at least in --" Luminous broke off as he stumbled a bit, but caught himself against the wall. Mercedes reached out to catch him just in case.  
  
"Are you okay? What happened?" She looked him over, trying to see if something was visibly wrong with him. He looked a bit paler than he should have, but otherwise, there were no clues in his appearance.  
  
"Yes. Just a bit dizzy. I'm fine."  
  
"Let's get you somewhere you can sit down." Mercedes led him over to a bench a little further down the hallway, suddenly grateful that Astilda had, so many years ago, recommended setting up benches in the hallways. He wasn't terribly unsteady, but Mercedes didn't fully trust him not to fall, so she stayed close to him and let him lean on her.  
  
Once he was safely sitting down on the bench, she sat down next to him. "Are you feeling any better?"  
  
"Somewhat."  
  
"Do you need some more time? Do you want me to get someone?"  
  
"I'll be fine, but thank you. So, back on topic?"  
  
"Yes. Why don't you ask Philius for help?"  
  
"Well, that is where the situation being complicated  comes into play more than just the magic involved. Evan needs to understand magic the way Aurora does because he will be facing the Black Mage with us and it will help if he understands where the Black Mage came from."  
  
"Doesn't that apply to Philius, as well?"  
  
"I thought he was going to be staying here in Elluel?"  
  
"... Luminous. Even if Philius isn't going to be leaving Elluel, he's still going to be fighting. And I want my Elder of Magic to have access to any information that may help him protect our people. So what's the problem?" Luminous looked away and didn't reply for several seconds.  
  
"I am not sure it is worth carrying on Aurora's legacy," he muttered.  
  
"Wait, what?"  
  
"Lania, Vieren, and I are the only ones who remain. And the Black Mage of course." Luminous winced. "... I never gave it much thought until recently, but I know Vieren has. The fact that he didn't try to take on an apprentice or carry on Aurora's work speaks volumes to me. We've already realized our master's dream and last wish. Is it really necessary to spread our teachings? Especially after all the ruin the Black Mage caused?" _Oh, Luminous..._ What he was saying sounded so alien to her -- the very concept of _not_ carrying on made her heart hurt -- but she had a nation to think of, where he only had a small organization. Perhaps it was different for him. Or perhaps it hurt him just as much as the idea hurt her.  
  
"Well, it's ultimately your decision, but know that I want what's best for my people, and for Maple World."  
  
"As do I."  
  
"So at least consider including Philius. You don't have to re-make Aurora. But sometimes, we need the past to build the future."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas to those who celebrate it! I did my best to get this fic out on time, but it's still a bit late for most time zones.
> 
> Thank you for reading! I hope to have Chapter 9 up within a week or two.


	9. Chapter 9

"So... are we ready?" Vieren asked. Luminous nodded, and looked around the room to see if everyone else was ready, too.

  
Luminous, Vieren's bubble, and Evan were sitting in a triangle with the lambent crystal in the center. Mir was huddled up in the corner, sitting on his haunches with his wings covering his sides just like Penny did sometimes. Lania was standing in the opposite corner, closer to the door. Luminous couldn't see and hear from them, but he knew that Mercedes and Philius were just outside the door, and Lania would go out and get them at the first sign of trouble.

  
They were in a small, well-guarded building near the rune tree, at the location Philius had chosen to center the barrier. The building was a decently long walk away from where Luminous had been staying, so between the trip over and his earlier walk with Mercedes, he was physically exhausted. Fortunately, the ritual wouldn't demand physical strength from him, only mana and mental effort.

  
"I'm as ready as I'll ever be!" Evan sounded nervous.

  
"I'm ready. Shall we go over what we're doing again?" Lania asked.

  
"Uh, yes, please," Evan said. Luminous was silently grateful Evan had spoken up; there were one or two points he wasn't certain of himself.

  
"Okay, so. Since what was left of the old barrier was unusable, Vieren and Luminous have cleared out the collapsed mana patterns so they won't get in the way of anything new. So our first step is already done." Lania shifted the papers in her hands so she could read where her thumbs had been. "Our next step is going to be to set up a seed of a temporary, non-permeable barrier, about as big around as where you're sitting. Luminous will do that part, since he has the most experience with these things" Lania gave him a hard look. "And remember, take it _slowly_. This is _not_ a battle. Don't throw anyone off by suddenly displacing a lot of air." Her tone was scolding, but there was laughter in her eyes.

  
"Whew, she still remembers your first time trying this, huh?" Vieren asked.

  
"Considering he broke two windows, it was difficult to forget."

  
"I was a child!" Luminous protested. He couldn't help but notice that Evan suddenly looked slightly more relaxed.

  
"So, the seed, is that like the little shove-y barrier things that you do sometimes to knock away monsters?" Evan asked.

  
"It's the same principle, yes, just centered on the crystal's light rather than my own."

  
"And the barrier we're making is just that on a bigger scale?"

  
"No, not really. Which is where the next step comes in," Lania explained. "While Lumi is maintaining the seed, Vieren is going to reach into the spell and link it to the lambent crystal. Evan, this is where you come in. It's going to need a _lot_ of mana at that stage to stay stable, so we need you to keep mana flowing into the spell. Just remember to let it flow in the patterns we showed you earlier, all right? Anything else and we'll get locked out of the barrier and won't be able to retrieve the lambent crystal and try again unless we destroy it."

  
"Okay, got it!"

  
"And please don't lock me _in_. I already spent hundreds of years alone inside of a barrier, I really don't need to go through that again," Vieren added.

  
"Then comes the hard part. We're going to need to change the nature of the barrier from impermeable to semi-permeable. Luminous and Vieren will do that part, Evan; you just keep the spell stable while they focus."

  
"Okay. What about incantations?"

  
"Aurora's magic generally has less of a focus on verbal components than other schools. Vieren and I will recite the few incantations needed; you do not need to concern yourself with that," Luminous explained.

  
"And Vieren, remember; just because you don't need to _breathe_ anymore doesn't mean you don't still need to _pause_ in between lines." Lania turned her scolding tone to him.

  
"Yeah, yeah, I know."

  
"Once the barrier's nature has been set, all we have to do is expand it to the desired dimensions. Luminous, Evan, you two have seen a lot more of Elluel than Vieren or I have, so you two are going to need to figure out where the edges go according to the chart Philius gave us."

  
"Understood."

  
"Also, remember, expanding the barrier past yourself is always the hardest part. I know Luminous and Vieren have a lot of practice with this, but Evan, the most important thing to do is to _not panic_. I know it's scary, but you _will not_ be hurt as long as you keep calm and keep the spell flowing. If you freeze up and panic, however, you're a lot more likely to have it backfire and hurt you. So be confident."

  
"Right!"

  
"This will probably be the biggest project we've ever attempted, so remember to take it slowly and carefully. Ask if you have any questions. And if something _starts_ to go wrong, let me know as soon as you can so I can go grab Philius."

  
"The biggest project you've ever attempted? What about the seal on the Black Mage?"

  
"That was the Heroes, though, not Aurora, and using Time magic, not Light," Luminous explained.

  
"And maybe I didn't phrase that the best. I think 'the most difficult' is a better word choice. Because even though it's a big barrier, it's still a barrier. It's just that we're all doing this with one hand behind our backs, so to speak." Evan looked curious, so Lania continued. "I have a whole lifetime between me and my life as a member of Aurora, and even then, I very rarely 'sat out' and directed rituals, from what I remember."

  
"Yeah, you were always the big star. Before Luminous grew up, of course."

  
"And you... I can't imagine it's easy, trying to work magic from inside a crystal while manifesting yourself in a tiny bubble."

  
"It isn't easy at all. It's like doing everything left-handed, upside-down, and blindfolded, while juggling five oranges."

  
"I can imagine. And Evan, this is your first time really working with Light magic, right?"

  
"For something like this, yeah."

  
"And Luminous is still worn-out and drained from defending our house and then Elluel."

  
"Unfortunately, yes."

  
"Finally, on top of all that, we are working off notes we made up from memory, not the official notes of our order. But we'll get through it. So, any last questions before we start? Anyone want to take a look at the notes again?" Luminous, Evan, and Vieren looked at each other, then each nodded.

  
"I believe we're prepared," Luminous stated.

  
"All right. Start when you're ready, Lumi."

  
Luminous took a deep breath, then winced. This was it. Once he started, he wouldn't be able to stop. He could only hope he could keep his mana and focus through it all. Perhaps he should have asked Philius to directly contribute, after all. But there was no point in turning back now.

  
He formed the barrier seed around the lambent crystal. It was simple enough, so he could spare some attention to keep an eye on Vieren. They had been concerned that forming the barrier seed around the crystal might cut Vieren off, but he was still there. Good.

  
He could feel Vieren working within the spell, anchoring it to the crystal. And he felt Evan's magic flowing in, too, trickling down from Mir, through Evan, and into the heart of the spell. His patterns were a bit jittery, but that was expected. It would do.

  
Lania spoke up from time to time, offering gentle reminders and suggestions, but they were, for the most part, unneeded. Luminous and Vieren knew what they were doing. Evan was nervous, and it showed, but he was pulling his weight and doing his part. Luminous just focused on the mana patterns and the light.

  
The energies suddenly shifted in a way Luminous didn't expect and hadn't seen before. Still, he had some intuitive feel for how to push them back into alignment. He just had to work slowly, gently, and with confidence.

  
He could feel Evan and Vieren also try to correct the flow.

  
There was a deafening roar, and then the world went white.

  
.

  
Luminous's ears were ringing, but he could make out the sound of a door opening. He was pretty sure he could hear Mercedes and Philius talking, but he couldn't decipher what they were saying.

  
The pain suddenly spiked, and he realized it was because there was someone shaking him.

  
"Luminous, wake up, wake up!" Luminous didn't bother opening his eyes. He lightly shoved the source of the noise -- Evan -- away.

  
"I'm all right. I'll live."

  
"Oh, good. I'm so sorry, oh my gosh, I am _so_ sorry."

  
"Stop." He didn't know if Evan was sorry about the spell failing -- because Luminous wasn't sure whose fault that was -- or if he was sorry for shaking him. Everything hurt worse than it had in days, but he didn't think he had any new injuries.

  
He was less concerned about the spell than he was about the people. He wasn't badly hurt. Evan seemed fine. Lania and Mir had been in the corners and would have been farther away from the blast, but he couldn't be sure they were safe. He opened his eyes and looked for Lania. She was still in the corner. She had crumpled the paper in her hands, and looked shocked, but she met his eyes and gave a shaky smile.

  
"Luminous, what happened? Are you all right?" Mercedes knelt down next to him and put a hand on his shoulder.

  
"I'm fine." He didn't feel it, but he was alive and would remain that way. "The crystal?"

  
"It _appears_ undamaged, but I'm not so sure about the magic behind it. What happened to your spell? I can hardly feel anything coming from it." Philius was tentatively reaching for the crystal, but wasn't getting any closer than a few feet from it.

  
"What about Vieren?"

  
"I'm right here, but yikes, that was close." Luminous looked around, but he couldn't see Vieren's bubble anywhere.

  
"Where is the bubble? Vieren? Where are you?"

  
"Um, sorry, Luminous, I kind of dodged out of that and back into the crystal entirely because I didn't want to die. The bubble's not a big deal, though. What matters is that we're all here and we can try again."

  
"But not now." Philius sounded stern. "I want to know what happened here and how you can stop it from happening again."

  
"And we need rest. We can try again when we're fresh," Lania put in.

  
"Indeed. You must all be exhausted; you were working on that for at least two hours." Luminous wondered if it had really been that long. Come to think of it, his mana was nearly gone again. He really must have been working for quite some time, and, now that Philius had mentioned it, the exhaustion was starting to hit.

  
The barrier had failed, but everyone was safe. He wasn't even that upset about failing, which was odd for him. As long as everyone was safe, he didn't need to be on high alert. He just wanted to sleep and escape the pain. He was slightly mentally numb from the shock, and the lack of strong motivation made it much easier for exhaustion to slip over him.

  
"We can address what went wrong later. For now, I know a few things that really help me when I'm exhausted from spell-casting. Let's go; I'm sure the kitchen can whip something up."

  
"Thank you, Philius," Evan said. He and Mir started to follow Philius out the door. Lania moved away from the corner, but didn't travel more than a few steps.

  
"Hey, what about me?" Vieren asked. Luminous ignored him.

  
"I am not interested in food, thank you; I think I'll just retire for the night --" Luminous started, as he tried to pull himself to his feet. Mercedes helped him up, but once he was nearly standing, his vision started to spin and whited out. He was vaguely aware of being eased back down onto the floor, slightly propped up against Mercedes.

  
"Luminous?" Evan sounded worried. "What's wrong?" He didn't feel like explaining. It was taking all his effort to keep his head together through the pain and dizziness.

  
"He's still injured from the battle, and I think this was a bit much for him with that being the case," Mercedes explained.

  
"Oh..."

  
"But don't worry. We'll make sure he's okay. You go get something to eat and drink. Keep your own strength up."

  
"Thank you, Mercedes." Luminous could hear footsteps that eventually faded away, and he assumed Evan, Mir, and Philius had left, leaving just him, Lania, Mercedes, and Vieren.

  
The only coherent thought that crossed his mind was that Mercedes could be such a wonderful, kind, caring person, even with the enormous burden of responsibility on her shoulders. Luminous felt so blessed to know her. There they were, they had just failed to create a barrier to help protect her people, but Mercedes wasn't even angry. She was clearly concerned for Evan, and had been kind and patient and generous to both him and Lania.

  
He was comfortable, resting up against her, and didn't want to move, or even speak. He was vaguely aware that his silence could be worrying, but he couldn't muster the strength or energy to do anything.

  
"How are you doing, Luminous?" Mercedes asked, after a while, as she put one hand on his hair. Luminous opened his eyes to see that Lania had moved in closer to him and was also looking on in concern.

  
"'m okay," he mumbled. Going to sleep right there seemed like a good idea. That said, he couldn't help but notice that Mercedes and Lania were looking at each other, and seemed to be having one of those conversations without words. He hadn't the faintest clue what they were or weren't discussing, but after a while, they both nodded.

  
"Okay. Luminous, I'm going to go let the doctor know to take a look at you," Mercedes said. He didn't want her to go, but he was too tired to protest.

  
"And I'll stay here and keep an eye on you," Lania said.

  
"And me?" Vieren asked.

  
"And you," Lania sighed.

  
"All right. I'll be back soon," Mercedes said. She carefully set Luminous down, then stood up and walked out the door, with only one concerned look back.

  
"Lumi, are you upset at all about the barrier?" Lania asked, after a while.

  
"Not too much. Are you?"

  
"... Yeah, actually. This was how we could pay Mercedes back, you know? We can always try again, but it's a little embarrassing."

  
"I suppose."

  
"But I think coming here was good."

  
"How so?"

  
"Well, it has to be easier to keep everyone safe this way, and it's nice to be around people again." Luminous decided that, at that moment, grumbling was the most efficient way of communicating his displeasure. "Oh, yes, I know you like being so isolated, but you also like Mercedes, so that has to make it worth it. I think it's a good thing for you, you know?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Got this done a lot quicker than I had anticipated. Being locked in the car and away from Internet for seven hours works wonders for productivity.
> 
> Thank you for reading!
> 
> As usual, I hope to have the next chapter up in a week or so.


	10. Chapter 10

"So, I stopped by the kitchen on the way over here," Mercedes said.

  
"And?" Luminous asked. He rubbed his eyes. He wasn't quite awake yet, and wasn't entirely sure when Mercedes had showed up, but he appreciated her coming to visit him in the mornings before she had to attend to her duties as the ruler of the elves.

  
"And I brought you some of that drink Philius recommended, since you didn't get to try some yesterday." She handed him an orange concoction in a mug. He swirled it around experimentally. It looked transparent enough that he could consider it a clear liquid, even though there were some differently-colored flecks in it. "I don't know if you've had breakfast yet -- probably not, I imagine -- but I figured, since I was on my way here, I might as well pick some up for you."

  
"Thank you, Mercedes. That's very thoughtful. I appreciate it." He took a sip, and tried not to grimace. It tasted a bit like an 'experiment' Lania had tried when she was very young to make lemonade more interesting, mostly by adding a few things foraged from around the forest. It was drinkable, and he probably would finish it to be polite, but he didn't feel much like asking for more. Ever. He didn't notice any effects on his mana or magic, but it was possible it would take a while, or that what Philius had mentioned was just the placebo effect in action.

  
"I'm sorry I didn't have a chance to talk to you yesterday after the incident. I needed to go prepare and then give a public statement about what happened."

  
"I understand."

  
"Thank you. So how are you doing? I was worried, so I'm glad to see that you seem back to yourself. But what was wrong yesterday?"

  
"I'm fine. I was merely exhausted, and having the barrier fail was a bit of a shock."

  
"Glad to hear it wasn't anything more serious. But about that. Do you have any insight into what went wrong?"

  
"Not really, unfortunately. I doubt it was Vieren's fault, but I'm unsure whether Evan or I caused it."

  
"Hm. Well, I asked Evan, and he doesn't know, either. Vieren is... well, it's a bit awkward to talk to a crystal with a voice. If it even is a voice. He reaches out telepathically when in there, doesn't he?"

  
"Sometimes."

  
"I see. So, anyway, from the short conversation I made myself have with him, it seems he doesn't know, either. I even tried asking Lania, but since she wasn't directly involved with the magic, she doesn't know, either." Lania. Where had she gone off to, and when had Mercedes had the chance to talk to her? He knew that Lania had stayed with him at least some of the night to check in on him, but she must have left some time after he had fallen asleep. Perhaps they had spoken later the previous evening.

  
"Have you asked Mir, by any chance? He's more perceptive than he lets on with these things."

  
"Actually, no, I haven't. I assumed that if Mir had any clue, he would have let Evan know."

  
"I suppose that's a fair assessment."

  
"So we really have no clue what went wrong, hm? That's a shame. Still, I'm glad no one was seriously hurt."

  
"Indeed. Do you happen to have any more news?"

  
"Well, monster attacks are picking up again." Mercedes sighed and leaned back in her chair. "Kerning City is having some troubles. So is Lith Harbor." If Kerning City was having trouble, Luminous hoped the Dark Lord was able to handle it. He had no love for thieves and scoundrels, but the Dark Lord had been honest and reliable and kept his word, and that he could appreciate.

  
"But Elluel is holding fast?"

  
"The situation here in Elluel is stable. We're not getting any reinforcements, though, so we're going to need that barrier. But there is no rush if you're not feeling up to it."

  
"Have you heard from the other heroes or any other factions or groups?"

  
"Well, I heard back from EunWol. He says that Edelstein is fine between the Resistance and the aid of the Demon -- sometimes I still don't understand how one of the Black Mage's commanders ended up falling in with a secret freedom-fighting organization -- and he's pretty sure Minar forest will be fine with all the powerful adventurers who go there to train, but he's not as sure about Magatia, so he's planning on visiting there."

  
"That seems wise. What about Aran?" Luminous wondered if EunWol felt any guilt about leaving Aran behind in Rien. Of course it was the right thing to do, and the strategically sound option, as well, and Aran was very much capable of handling themself (and probably all of Rien), but leaving behind a loved one in war and not knowing if they'd still be there upon return was never easy. EunWol had already had to say too many good-byes, from what Luminous had heard. He knew he didn't want to be separated from Mercedes -- or Lania, or Vieren, or Evan now that he was here -- until he was certain the world was safe from the Black Mage's threat.

  
"Aran got reinforcements in Rien." Mercedes sounded a little jealous, and more than a little bitter.

  
"I'm assuming you think Aran's request was granted and yours wasn't because the Tactician's sister lives in Rien?"

  
"Most likely. I know Neinheart is doing his best, but I'm nearly certain there was some bias involved." Mercedes rubbed her temples. "Oh, and the Nova are sending some people over, including their heroes and those two Flora. I'd imagine they will go to help Kerning City and Lith Harbor."

  
"So the situation is handled?"

  
"As well as it can be. It doesn't seem quite as overwhelming as before. Of course, there's still the matter of those chains and the fact that we're slowly being dragged to our doom, but it somehow seems less pressing. The Alliance has thoroughly investigated the situation, and if their orders are to focus on defending against monster attacks and not to give priority to the chains, then I suppose we'll have to trust their judgment. On that note, I assume you haven't had time or energy to look into them?"

  
"You are correct, unfortunately."

  
"I assumed that was the case. Just focus on the barrier."

  
"I assure you, I will give it my all." Luminous couldn't help but wonder if his all would be good enough. Though he still wasn't sure who caused the barrier to fail, that was hardly the only problem, now that he thought of it. If his mana had been as depleted as it had been before they had gotten to the extremely mana-intensive steps of setting the edges of the barrier and then strengthening it, he wasn't sure he would have been able to see the spell through to its completion, anyway.

  
He didn't want to, but he would have to ask Philius to contribute. One more person was one more possible source of error, but Philius seemed experienced and level-headed enough that Luminous doubted there would be an issue. After all, Evan, much younger and more error-prone, had been able to successfully contribute.

  
Even with Philius contributing, would it be enough? After a good night's rest, Luminous was, mana-wise, about where he had been before they had started their attempt to make the barrier. He imagined that Vieren was similarly resting and regaining his energy. Unfortunately, he wouldn't be able to check; Vieren was still stuck in the crystal, which was still in the other building, and under heavy guard. Luminous had to admit that he missed him a bit. Meanwhile, Evan and Mir were most likely helping out with some tasks around Elluel, so Luminous didn't know how much strength or mana they would be able to contribute to the barrier on the next attempt. Philius's contribution would need to be significant.

  
"I know you will. Just don't push yourself too far." Mercedes's voice pulled him out of his thoughts.

  
"What do you mean?"

  
"Luminous." Her voice was serious and stern. "I need my people to be safe and free and prosperous. But I also don't want you or Evan to overextend yourselves and get seriously hurt. From what I've heard from Philius, you were all very lucky you weren't badly injured when a spell that mana-intensive failed and backfired."

  
"That is true."

  
"And on top of that, you're still injured from before."

  
"I'll be fine. I'm healing."

  
"I know. And I know that you know what pace to set for yourself, but I still worry." She reached for his hand, slightly hesitant. He reached out to meet her.

  
"I worry about you, too. You spend so much time taking care of us and your people that you hardly spend any time on yourself." Luminous knew he was pushing it. He knew it was a sensitive subject. He supposed it was a bit like pinching himself to see if he was dreaming. Her expression hardened, and he momentarily wondered if she would pull her guns on him, but she didn't let go of his hand, and, after a second, her face relaxed again and she gave his hand a light squeeze.

  
"My people need me, Luminous. Who am I to deny them?" Mercedes asked quietly. He wanted to say that she wasn't denying her people and that they needed her to be safe, healthy, and sane. He was, however, well aware that she already knew this, and pointing it out was more likely to harm than to help.

  
There was nothing he could say.

  
She, evidently, had nothing to say, either. They simply sat there, holding hands and looking into each other's eyes, as if hoping they could find the answers they sought there.

  
A few moments passed before he heard furious knocking at the door. He and Mercedes both startled and turned toward it.

  
"Your Majesty! Mercedes!" The person on the other side of the door sounded frantic.

  
"What is it?" Mercedes growled, putting her free hand on the grip of her holstered bowgun.

  
"New monsters have broken through into the civilian areas in Elluel! We can't contain them! Even the dragon master can't stop them!" _No..._ Mercedes cursed under her breath. Luminous barely refrained from doing the same. Mercedes let go of his hand, stood up, and squared her shoulders.

  
"Luminous, I will be back as soon as I have this situation handled." Her voice was calm, the kind of calm that masked a storm underneath. He knew she was ready for battle, and he knew she wanted no part of it.

  
"Mercedes --!" He reached for her, but she slipped out the door before he could even say another word.

  
This was all his fault.

  
If the barrier hadn't failed, monsters wouldn't have been able to breach Elluel. Mercedes wouldn't have had to desperately fight for her kingdom and her people for the second time in four days. He didn't want to see her heart break again over losses. He didn't want to see her go, not knowing how well or how poorly she would be doing when she returned. If she returned.

  
If he hadn't been injured, he could have at least followed her into battle. They could defend Elluel again, together.

  
But he couldn't. He wasn't at one hundred percent. He was barely even at ten percent. Even so, he wished there were something he could do.

  
He made up his mind then. He wasn't one to lie around being useless. Lania would surely scold him, and she would have every right to, but he would not allow everything he had worked for to fall to ruin.

  
He wouldn't let the Black Mage win.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading, everyone!
> 
> I hope to have the next chapter up in a week or two, as usual.


	11. Chapter 11

Mercedes couldn't help but wonder if the reports she had gotten from Danika were wrong. She almost _hoped_ Danika had been lying to her these past few days, because if she had been telling the truth, then most of the progress made towards rebuilding had been lost in mere hours.

  
How could things go so wrong, so quickly?

  
Mercedes almost didn't want to fight. She was tired of war, and, upon seeing the damage the monsters had done, erasing days of work, fighting seemed futile. But at the same time, she _did_ want to fight -- her people were suffering, she was angry, and she wanted to both _do_ something and take out her aggression on a deserving foe.

  
These monsters deserved nothing less than a quick and merciless end.

  
She pulled out her bowguns and leapt into the fray, shooting down monsters while she tried to get a better feel for the situation and where she would be most needed.

  
She couldn't see Philius, but she recognized some of his usual and favorite spells coming from the east side of the rune tree. She assumed he had the situation there handled. Danika was at her favorite spot at the main entrance to Elluel, surrounded by her troops. Mercedes trusted her to hold the line there.

  
Mercedes supposed she would be most useful fighting where they _weren't_.

  
On her way past the royal harp and its display, she saw Evan and Mir work together to take down a particularly large monster, using spells she hadn't seen from them before. _Good. They're learning new things. As long as they don't get so caught up in a fight_ thinking _about the new things that they lose track of the situation, it should serve them well_. On that note, Mercedes noticed that two smaller monsters had come up behind the duo. Mercedes took them both down at once with a well-aimed shot from each bowgun.

  
"Oh! Mercedes!" Evan noticed her and turned. _Don't turn your back to the monsters!_ Fortunately, Mir was watching behind him. This time. "I'm so sorry we weren't able to stop them! We're trying our best, and --"

  
"I know you are, Evan. I'm just grateful you're here and fighting." The situation would be much worse than it was without him, after all.

  
Evan and Mir could handle themselves, it seemed. She would do best to find another place to contribute.

  
She made her way past the school when she came across a family taking shelter behind a half-collapsed wall. She directed them to safety, then resumed the fight.

  
She fell into the old rhythm of battle easily, and time started to slip away.

  
While Danika remained at the entrance, Mercedes sometimes switched places with Phillius or Evan, depending on whose skills were needed more as the situation changed. Elves and Cygnus Knights alike held the line in places where no hero or elder was there to lead the push.

  
This was a familiar dance. And, well-rested, she was capable of keeping it up for a long time.

  
Mercedes dived under a group of monsters, knocking them up into the air. She used a hand signal to direct Evan to take them out while they were disoriented, but Evan only looked at her in confusion. She realized a half-second too late that that was a hand signal she had used with Freud many times, but never with Evan.

  
That moment of thinking cost her, as a nearby monster took the opportunity to swipe at her. She darted out of the way, but not without the monster knocking one of the holsters off her hip.

  
Enraged, she leapt into the air, firing three shots from each bowgun into the monster as she fell. It disintegrated before she hit the ground.

  
She realized now that she was in the middle of a group of monsters, but that was fine. None of them looked particularly powerful. None of them were anywhere near a match for the ruler of the elves.

  
Mercedes took to the air again, sending out a whirling gust of magical leaves to slice the monsters apart, mixing arrows in with the leaves. She knew the spirits of nature were with her, and she would happily show these monsters their wrath.

  
These monsters _dared_ attack her people, and for that, she would show them no mercy.

  
She continued to mow down monsters where she found them. Some took more shots to down than others, but overall, she found the battle much easier than the initial assault.

  
She was starting to tire, yes, but she was about as tired now as she had been when she had _begun_ the battle days ago. As long as their forces could repel the monsters in roughly the same amount of time as they had before, she would be just fine.

  
That confidence lent itself to a false sense of security.

  
Said sense of security was abruptly shattered when palpable darkness rolled over her.

  
She whirled around to face the source of it. It was difficult to see through the darkness; it was like there was a thick fog blocking out light, but she could make out a large avian figure. _That's new_. The darkness was was heavy, cold, and clung to her like water. This was no comforting and restorative darkness of night; this was unnatural and evil. It reminded her far too much of the Black Mage himself.

  
She wanted to get away from it and attack from a safer distance, but monsters had closed in around her, and, through the darkness, it was difficult to see well enough to aim and dodge.

  
She felt strange, and it took her a moment to identify the name for it. Fear. Yes, that was fear. She was completely cut off from her allies. She couldn't even see the sunlight.

  
Mercedes forced herself to calm down. She could do this.

  
She called up spectral unicorns to charge through the monsters behind her. She knew she was turning her back to the avian monster, but she wouldn't let that last long. She ran through the opening the unicorns had provided, shooting down monsters to her sides as she went.

  
The darkness didn't lessen as she moved. She took a quick look behind her; she was gaining distance on the avian monster, so why couldn't she be free of its aura?

  
It was then that she realized there was a _second_ one, and she was running right towards it. Meanwhile, there were still regular monsters everywhere, and she had no idea where her people or any reinforcements were. It was so dark, she couldn't even make out where in Elluel she was.

  
She swallowed hard when she realized that she might actually die.

  
But _no_. She was _going_ to get through this. Her people needed her. And she wasn't about to do to Luminous what Freud had done to her.

  
The situation looked bad, but it wasn't guaranteed death. As long as she had a chance, she'd keep fighting.

  
She started pumping arrows into the first avian monster, only pausing to reposition or clear out approaching regular monsters. She kept an eye on the second monster, but didn't spare any time or arrows on it. She knew that they wouldn't be deterred by anything less than lethal force, and the sooner she was facing one instead of two, the better.

  
The monsters, fortunately, didn't seem to be very fast-moving. That was the one comfort she could take in her situation. Unfortunately, when they did beat their wings, they did so in a way that caused the motion to ripple through the darkness and into her body, even though they weren't touching her. It didn't _hurt_ , exactly, but it was extremely unsettling.

  
She was just starting to wonder what else they were capable of when her first target gave a deafening screech.

  
It was the worst sound she'd ever heard. Something about it -- the sheer volume, the dissonant mix of pitches, the way it echoed and rippled through the darkness just like the wing beats -- made it _hurt_ worse than any injury she could ever remember.

  
She found herself on her knees, digging her fingernails into her scalp with her palms over her ears. She must have dropped her bowguns, but that hardly seemed to matter at the time. The screech seemed to go on and on, though she wasn't entirely sure it wasn't just echoing in her mind.

  
She realized she was screaming, too; crying out in pain and frustration. She felt her hair ornament dislodge, and with that, she remembered her responsibilities.

  
She couldn't give up. She was the ruler of the elves, and the elves were threatened. If willpower alone wasn't enough to get her through this, then she could at least rely on righteous fury.

  
Pain lent itself to anger fairly well.

  
She pulled her hands away from her ears, picked up her bowguns, and resumed shooting, trying not to let the tears in her eyes affect her aim.

  
With how many arrows she had already put into the first avian monster, it had to be nearly dead, but it wasn't showing any sign of pain or damage.

  
The other monsters were closing in. She rained down spears from above to cut down their numbers, but she knew she was getting sloppy.

  
Angry tears were streaming down her face now; why wouldn't the damned thing DIE!? She could keep the avian monsters at a distance, but it felt like the darkness was getting heavier and the wing beats were getting more intense. Something had to change for the better, soon. She didn't know how much longer she'd be able to hold herself together well enough to fight.

  
And then there was light.

  
Even better, the light was in the form of one half of a massive sword crashing down through the skull of the monster she had been aiming at. _Luminous!_ She couldn't see him, and couldn't risk turning her back on the monsters to check to see where he was, but he was _there_ , and that was what mattered.

  
With that, the fog of darkness began to lift. She could see the sun again, even if it was dim.

  
She wasn't alone in this fight. She felt such profound relief that she temporarily forgot that Luminous wasn't supposed to be fighting for several more days.

  
They could deal with that later. There were more pressing issues at hand.

  
Luminous opened up a portal that sent out rays of magic and energy, clearing out the weaker monsters. Meanwhile, Mercedes gunned down the second bird. If she could trust Luminous to watch her back, she didn't have to constantly pause to check her surroundings.

  
It took some time, but the second monster fell, and with that, the fog lifted. Mercedes looked around, trying to get an idea where she had ended up while fighting. It seemed she was on a hill near the outskirts of Elluel. Luminous was behind her and a bit farther up on the hill. He was leaning heavily on his rod, and looked like he was about to faint.

  
Feeling the situation was safe enough, Mercedes holstered her bowguns -- well, the one, anyhow; she had to hold onto the other one since the holster was gone -- and ran to catch him. He slumped against her and let his weapon fall.

  
"What were you thinking!?" Mercedes demanded, sitting him down. It was difficult to manage with only one arm; she really didn't want to risk accidentally shooting him, but she didn't feel safe enough to drop her weapon. "Thanks for the help, but you _know_ you're not supposed to be up and fighting!" Luminous didn't respond. Mercedes leaned him back slightly so she could see his face. His gaze was unfocused at first, but then he focused on something beyond her and his eyes widened in shock as he tried to move her off to the side.

  
Mercedes didn't budge, but she glanced behind her to see what was going on.

  
She had just enough time to roll Luminous and herself out of the way as a monster's attack came crashing down. They rolled twice down the hill before Mercedes turned and aimed at the monster with her drawn bowgun.

  
Before she could pull the trigger, however, the monster erupted in flames.

  
"Oh, whew. Are you guys okay?" Evan asked from on top of the hill. Mercedes breathed a sigh of relief.

  
"I'm all right, Evan. Thank you. What about you, Luminous?" She asked, getting off of him. She noticed that he had his hand over his side, and his expression was tight with pain. She suddenly worried that she had hurt him or made his injuries worse by rolling on top of him as they evaded the monster's attack.

  
"I'm fine; just sore," he said through clenched teeth.

  
"Are you sure?"

  
"I'm nearly certa-- Mercedes, you're bleeding!"

  
"Where?" Mercedes asked. She couldn't feel any injuries, but it was possible she had gotten hurt without realizing it and the rush of battle kept her from feeling it. Luminous reached up to gesture to the side of her head. _Oh._ "It's just a scratch; I'm fine."

  
"Would you like me to heal it?"

  
"Luminous. You're still badly hurt. You're in pain. Focus on yourself. A few scratches won't even slow me down."

  
"But if it is just a superficial scratch, it is a much easier fix than older and deeper injuries." Mercedes thought about that. It _was_ just a scratch, and it wouldn't hurt her. That said, walking around with her head bleeding was probably going to be terrible for morale.

  
"... Okay." Evan seemed to have the situation handled, and Mercedes couldn't see any more monsters within range. She leaned in so he could touch the side of her head. "Go ahead." Luminous whispered a few spells, and she felt comforting light flow through her, as if washing away whatever darkness had been left by her contact with those birds. She hadn't even noticed any pain, but she now acutely felt its absence. "Thank you."

  
"It was the least I could do." Luminous bowed his head slightly.

  
"Now. You're not supposed to be fighting. Get yourself back to safety. Save your strength. We'll be needing it later."

  
"As you wish."

  
Mercedes pulled herself to her feet and surveyed the battlefield again.

  
It seemed the enemies were being driven back. She couldn't see any more of those awful avian monsters. The situation was handled.

  
Her people were safe.

  
If only she knew they would stay that way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Almost done!
> 
> Just one more chapter to go, then we can move on to the sequel! I hope to have the final chapter up in... I don't really know, actually. Definitely by the end of January.
> 
> Thank you for reading!
> 
> Unrelated, at over 24k, this is now the longest piece I've ever written (previous record holder was 23k). Hooray!


	12. Chapter 12

"So, are you _sure_ it will work this time?" Mercedes asked the assembled group. She couldn't risk any more casualties. She had just finished going through the reports from the previous day's battle when Philius had dropped by to tell her that they were going to try to set up the barrier again.

  
There were, fortunately, no deaths; the monsters had been repelled relatively quickly, and, again, most of the damage was to inanimate objects. That said, five Cygnus Knights and two elves had been badly wounded, and she was told that three of the Knights might never recover.

  
"Yes. We're all well-rested this time," Luminous explained.

  
"Yeah, last time, we were just a bit too tired and drained of mana, I think," Vieren added. Mercedes found herself looking around for the source of his voice for a few seconds before she remembered that he was in the crystal.

  
"And you _aren't_ tired and drained after the battle yesterday?" Mercedes asked.

  
"We're still better! Or at least, I am," Evan put in. Luminous nodded slightly. "Plus, we have Philius this time, and we have a better idea what we're doing now."

  
"Still, are you _sure_?"

  
"We're sure," Lania said.

  
"If something _does_ go wrong, do you have a plan for it?" Mercedes asked.

  
"We, uh, do." Philius winced.

  
"Why do I get the feeling I'm not going to like this plan?"

  
"Because they'll be throwing me under the bus," Vieren explained. "We've figured out how to set it up so if it backfires, it'll either dissipate -- like it did last time -- or it'll go back onto me and the crystal here. Which, uh, won't be good -- you all still might be hit with the shards and I'd recommend eye protection just in case --"

  
"Vieren," Lania warned, "stop. Don't scare Mercedes." Lania turned to her. "We are almost certain it will work this time."

  
" _Almost_ certain," Mercedes repeated skeptically.

  
"Rest assured, Your Majesty, this should be no more dangerous than other rituals we have done in the past." Philius bowed his head.

  
"Very well." She could trust Philius's assessment, at least. She wasn't sure exactly what the assembled group was waiting on, but she supposed her permission was a good a guess as any. "Carry on."

  
"Okay. Luminous, when you're ready," Lania started. Luminous nodded. He closed his eyes and took a breath. The crystal lit up brightly. Luminous was so intensely focused that _he_ seemed to shine, too.

  
For a few minutes, nothing seemed to change, but she knew that Vieren was working hard from inside the crystal.

  
She knew the instant that Evan joined in with the spell; he gave a small 'hm' and stuck his tongue out slightly in concentration. Mir leaned in slightly, though his expression didn't change at all. Philius was quieter and more subtle, but Mercedes supposed that he started pouring mana into the spell when he closed his eyes.

  
Lania was watching like a hawk, and only paused occasionally to glance down at her notes. Several minutes in, Lania caught Mercedes's gaze, and gave her a reassuring nod.

  
Mercedes wanted to ask if this was where the spell had failed before, but she didn't want to speak if it would distract the people casting. The last thing she needed was to _cause_ a problem by _asking_ about it.

  
For at least several more minutes, the only sounds in the room were breathing, pages being turned, and Luminous and Vieren occasionally muttering a few syllables.

  
Mercedes found herself feeling a bit antsy and impatient. She _wanted_ to do something, she _wanted_ to help, but this was one battle she couldn't fight. Mir seemed to share her displeasure; the tip of his tail was twitching back and forth, and at one point he met her eyes with an expression that seemed to say 'I know, right?'.

  
"All right. Luminous, Evan, Philius, you know what to do," Lania said, after a while. Mercedes wasn't sure what change she had seen, but at Lania's signal, she saw the barrier start to expand, and to expand at an increasing rate.

  
Mercedes flinched and braced herself as the barrier flew past her. She felt a bit of a rush, as if a breeze had run through her hair.

  
"Keep going, keep it steady..." Relatively confident in her own safety, Mercedes looked around the room. Luminous, Evan, and Philius looked strained and intensely focused. She was almost certain she could see sweat rolling down Evan's face. Mercedes wished again that she could help, but she had nothing to offer except her presence. She could only hope it helped.

  
"Philius, are the edges of the barrier where you wanted them?" Luminous asked, after several more minutes.

  
"Yes."

  
"Good. All right. Luminous, Vieren, anchor it now," Lania ordered. Luminous raised his hands, and Mercedes felt the energy around them shift very slightly. "And we're good. Evan, you look tired. Disengage from the barrier."

  
"What? But --" Evan started to protest.

  
"Don't worry; the others can keep it going," Lania assured him.

  
"Okay, if you're sure." Evan took a deep breath and muttered something. He seemed to wilt, and slumped across Mir's snout. He looked exhausted, but there was a smile on his face.

  
"Philius, your turn next." Philius nodded his understanding. He gave a long sigh and stretched his arms and back. When that was done, he met Mercedes' eyes and gave a respectful nod.

  
"So it worked? The barrier should be up now?" Mercedes asked, quietly enough that she hoped she didn't disturb Luminous, who was still focused.

  
"It should be. Anyway, Luminous, you can disengage now." Luminous's eyes fluttered open. "Vieren, you, uh..."

  
"Yeah, disengaging isn't really an option for me. But we're good." Vieren sparkled into existence next to the crystal. "Man, it feels good to be myself again. How's everyone else holding up?" Mercedes looked around the room. Everyone looked exhausted, but cheerful and hopeful. She felt some of that positivity and relief lighten her own mood, as well, and she let her shoulders drop. She didn't know how long they had been up near her ears.

  
"I'm doing great!" Evan said, forcing a smile, as he waved at Vieren. He was still sprawled over Mir, who had protectively covered him with a wing.

  
"A bit drained, but all right," Philius said, stretching again.

  
"Likewise here," Luminous added.

  
"You know, I think I could go for some drinks again. Would anyone like to join me?" Philius asked as he got to his feet.

  
"Sure!" Evan said, perking back up immediately. Mir made what Mercedes assumed was a dragon's disgusted face.

  
"Sounds good to me," Lania added, folding up her notes and sticking them in a pocket in her apron.

  
"I'll pass, thank you," Luminous said.

  
"As will I, for uh, obvious reasons." Vieren scratched the back of his head self-consciously. "Mind if I tag along, though?"

  
"I don't mind, just try not to scare anyone," Lania said.

  
"Eh, they'll get used to me soon enough. I mean, you did." Vieren shrugged.

  
"Mercedes, what do you think?" Philius asked.

  
"I'll pass. You know things like that never agree with me." She turned to Vieren. "And I'd have to agree with Lania. You had better not scare anyone. Most of the people in the palace know about you, but going around in public is only going to cause unnecessary trouble."

  
"I understand. I'll try to keep the popping up in random places to a minimum."

  
"So, shall we?" Philius asked, making his way towards the door. Evan and Mir followed him, and so did Lania and Vieren, after a short pause. Luminous, meanwhile, made no motion to get up, so Mercedes walked over to him and offered him her hand. He took it, and she pulled him to his feet, nodding his thanks.

  
"Thank you. This will keep our people safe," Mercedes said quietly, after everyone else had left. She realized she had said 'our' people again.

  
"You overstate what I've done. The barrier will need strengthening and recharging, and you will still need people to defend Elluel's borders."

  
"I know that, but it's still a tremendous help. I owe you."

  
"Mercedes, you saved my life." Mercedes bit back a reply that he wouldn't have *needed* saving if he hadn't come of his own will to help her.

  
"And you saved mine yesterday," she said instead.

  
"You could have handled it on your own."

  
"I'm not so sure of that," she admitted.

  
"Mercedes --"

  
"We're stronger together."

  
"We are."

  
"You know, in a way, we're both lucky that circumstances forced you to stay here. I hate to think of what might have happened to Elluel otherwise."

  
"I suppose that's one way of looking at it."

  
"Luminous, do you realize what you and the others have done? We won't need to focus on the home front. If you and Vieren -- and Evan and Philius too, I suppose -- get the barrier charged up enough, we won't have to worry about our people while we go to fight the Black Mage. That wouldn't be possible otherwise."

  
"You're right. And if we know they are safe, we won't be distracted and will be much more likely to succeed."

  
"Exactly. Now all we have to do is wait for the Alliance's signal." Mercedes smiled. "But until then, since we aren't going to be joining the others in the kitchen, how about we go somewhere else for snacks?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if anyone is still waiting for chapter art. After some time spent failing with my sketchbook and my art program, I have decided that it's not going to happen. Please accept the art from the bonus chapter as a substitute.
> 
> Thank you for reading and sticking with it to the end! Extra thanks to those of you who left kudos or private comments! Feedback and kudos give me life.
> 
> Special thanks to Satsuha for getting me into this ship in the first place!
> 
> This is the end of The Home Front, but the story doesn't end here. Like many people, I was unsatisfied with the conclusion of the Black Mage story line. My next order of business is to write a fix-it fic from a LumiMerc perspective. I have no idea whether it will turn out better or worse than the original, but it doesn't hurt to try.  
> I have some of it outlined, but piecing it together into a coherent narrative and *then* actually writing it will take time. That, and I got a bit burned out, so I need some time to recharge. So don't expect to see the first chapter up for a month or so.
> 
> Hope to see you all in the sequel!


End file.
